The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has denied getting a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in two weeks.   

In a report emanated from State House Correspondents, the minister stated on Thursday, during the weekly breefing, stated that the president rather told him to resolve the issues within the shortest possible time time.

He insisted that he will not succumb to ASUU’s demand for their members to be paid the backlog of salaries withheld within the period of six months that they were on strike, noting that it is the penalty for their action.

The minister also disclosed that five of the university-based unions will likely call off their strike within the next one week while that of ASUU remains uncertain.

Adamu argued that in spite of the N2.5 trillion expended on education by President Buhari’s administration through the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) as well as Universal Basic Education (UBEC), surpassing the N1.2 trillion demanded by ASUU, lecturers have maintained their position to embark on a needless strike.

However, he, noted that ASUU had begun consultations with their members to determine whether to call off their strike as well.