President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime has ordered vice-chancellors to reopen universities and to allow students to resume lectures.

This is contained in a letter signed by Sam Onazi, a director at the finance and accounts department of the National Universities Commission, on behalf of the NUC executive secretary, Abubakar Rasheed, on Monday.

The letter addressed to all vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors and chairmen of governing councils of federal universities directed that they reopen the universities.

“Ensure that ASUU members immediately resume/commence lectures; restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses,” the letter said.

ASUU had embarked on strike since February 14 to press home their demand for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.

Several meetings between ASUU and the Buhari regime have ended in deadlock due to non-agreement on the demands.

Mr Buhari’s regime filed a lawsuit against the union at the National Industrial Court to challenge the months-long strike, but ASUU insisted it would not call off the strike. It has appealed the court’s ruling on Wednesday ordering the lecturers to suspend the strike.

The judge, Polycarp Hamman, gave the order in a ruling on the regime’s application for an interlocutory injunction against the ongoing ASUU strike.

(NAN)