ASUU Strike: 13-hour meeting with President Jonathan may yield positive result Author(s): Florence Achi After a marathon 13-hour long meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the union’s leader has said there is a message from the President, which would be presented to their members for consideration. There are, however, indications that the meeting, which started at about 2:40 pm on Monday afternoon and went on till about 3:30 am on Tuesday morning may have yielded positive results. Monday’s meeting is the first time the president would lead the government’s delegation team, since the commencement of the strike four months ago. The presidency had taken over negotiations with the striking union, on September 20, with Vice President Namadi Sambo heading the negotiation, but nothing came of it. Emerging from the meeting at the First Lady’s conference room at the presidential villa, the ASUU president Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge said, “we have had a lengthy meeting with Mr. President, rubbing minds on how best to address the problem of university education in this country. L-R: Uche Chukwumerije, Emeka Wogu and Ruqqayatu Rufa’i, just before a meeting with ASUU representatives in August, 2013. “We now have a message from Mr. President that we are going to take to our members and we are expecting that our members will respond appropriately to the message of Mr. President.” On whether the lecturers would return to the classroom, the ASUU President said, “That is up to our members.” When asked to disclose the President’s message to members of the union, Fagge said, “I can not tell you. It’s not for you; it is for our members.” Asked if he was impressed with the President’s message, Fagge said, “Don’t put words into my mouth, our members will determine that,” However, Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu told State House Correspondents that meaningful progress was made in the negotiations with ASUU, expressing hope that the lecturers would call off the strike. Wogu said, “We made progress, the President of ASUU told you that they are going back with a message from the Federal Government to their members and the message is full of high expectations and hope.” Also responding to the question of the strike being called off, he said, “That is why the message is full of high expectations and hope. So our prayer is that they come back with positive outcome. They might not even come back to meet us, they might take decisions there that will meet your expectations. “Nigerians should be patient for ASUU to finish their meetings and come out with a message to Nigerians.” Responding to whether the Federal Government made a fresh offer to the striking lecturers, the Minister said, “the offer we made is the offer they are taking in line with the 2009 agreement. The issues that led to the strike are issues contained in the 2009 agreement and we did not go beyond the agreement.” Four hours into the meeting (6:30 pm Monday) the meeting broke for a fifteen minutes break. The ASUU President led his team to their bus, a white Toyota Bus with Lagos registration number BU 190 EPE, to confer amongst themselves. While making the consultations, the ASUU leaders left the leadership of the NLC, the TUC and government representatives back at the hall. The meeting resumed at about 6:50 pm. The ASUU President led members of the national leadership of the academic union including his deputy, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, three past presidents of ASUU, Professor Festus Iyayi, Professor Dipo Fashina and Professor Abdullahi Sule-Kano. Other members of the ASUU delegation include Professor Suleiman Abdul, Professor Victor Osodeke and Dr. Victor Igbum. President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bobboi Kaigama as well as staff and other members of the congress were also at the meeting. On the side of government at the meeting were Vice President Namadi Sambo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadhomhe; Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; her counterpart in the Labour and Productivity Ministry, Chief Emeka Wogu, and the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike. Also at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Mac John Nwaobiala; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, and Director, Tertiary Education in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Hindatu Abdullahi.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 08:11:00 +0000
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