THE Federal Government will, today, meet with the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in last-ditch efforts to end the ongoing indefinite strike by the union. The truce meeting between the government and the union last week Friday, midwifed by the Benue State governor, Mr Gabriel Suswam, was inconclusive. Indications, however, were that the belligerent lecturers might declare ceasefire and return back to classroom at the end of this week. Governor Suswam, who was drafted to intervene in the face-off, told newsmen on Friday, after about three hours of meeting, that the parties had agreed on all other issues except two, slated to be resolved this week. The two issues, according to him, were earned allowance and funding of university education, in view of the infrastructure deficit in the system. Nigerian Tribune had reported that the earned allowance, which amounted to about N100 billion, actually brought about breakdown of discussion between the government and ASUU, leading to the strike. The Friday meeting, called at the instance of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, also had ministers of Education and Labour and Productivity, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai and Chief Emeka Wogu respectively in attendance. ASUU national president, Dr Nasir Isah Fagge, however, declined comment after the meeting, but the government team, which also had the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) , came out from the meeting hopeful to end the crisis. A source within the union told the Nigerian Tribune that ASUU would not hesitate to suspend the strike this week, if the right thing was done by the government. “We are not happy that the students are at home, but the right thing must done by the government,” the source said.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 22:53:39 +0000
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