The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has challenged the federal government to accept the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform for it to call off the ongoing strike.

ASUU national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osedeke, who said this while speaking on Channels Television on Monday night, said the strike will continue unless government accept UTAS and honour the 2009 agreement.

It would be recalled that the ASUU strike action, which started on February 14, 2022 has entered 140th day this Monday.

ASUU has been at loggerheads with the federal government, citing the refusal of the latter to honour the 2009 agreement it entered with the Union.

Its demands in the agreements include condition of service of University lecturers to be reviewed every five years, issue of salaries and allowances, revitalisation of public universities, among other issues, University Transparency Accountability Solution and the inconsistencies in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) payment platform.

Osodeke said, “Let government tell us they have finished testing the UTAS and sign the agreement, then tomorrow we will call off the strike.

“We challenge the government, when would they sign the agreement? When would they accept UTAS? These are the two questions we should ask Nigerian government,” he stated.