The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has denied claims that it reached an agreement with the federal government to call off its ongoing strike on or before December 9, 2020.

ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, in a statement on Wednesday, made it clear that representatives of the union do not have the powers to suspend the industrial action.

The statement read in part, “To put the records straight, the Principal Officers and Trustees who constitute the core of representatives of ASUU at negotiation meetings with the government are not constitutionally empowered to suspend any strike action. Whatever comes out of an engagement with agents of the government is an offer that must be taken back to the branches through the various organs of the union.”

According to the ASUU president, they must follow due process, which involves transmitting the outcome of negotiations to members and the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU for further deliberations and actions.

This is coming after the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had stated that ASUU promised to call off their nine-month-old strike before the said date.