The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will today hold a crucial meeting with the Federal Government to over the ongoing strike action by the union. The meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m., and was called at the instance of the Minister of education, Adamu Adamu, and the government’s negotiating team.

The president of ASUU Biodun Ogunyemi confirmed that the FG has invited the union to a meeting adding that the meeting will determine the seriousness of the Federal Government towards ending the strike.

“The government has invited us for a meeting tomorrow, we are not sure of their seriousness because we have been discussing with them for 16 months without any result,” he said.

On whether the lecturers will be willing to call off the strike if the meeting ends in their favour, the ASUU president said the union members will decide on that.

He also denied rumours that the lecturers have accepted government’s proposal to set up an education bank, which was one of the reasons they went on strike in the first place.

“We have not accepted education banking. We were surprised on reports that we accepted it. It is a means to exploit students and make them pay tuition fee.

“Some students do not get jobs even five years after graduation and they will be asked to repay a million naira. That is selling them to slavery totally,” he said.