News: ASUU May Call-Off Strike This Week

ASUU - Respite may come the way of students in Nigeria's public Universities as there are emerging indications that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may call off its four-month old strike next week.

Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Issa Aremu who was part of last Monday's lengthy meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU facilitated by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said yesterday in Lagos that Labour was hopeful that the universities would re-open next week.

Aremu who spoke at the African Executive Meeting of the Industrial Global Union, hosted by Nigeria in Ajah, Lagos State, commended President Jonathan for taking over the negotiation which eventually brought hope of a quick resolution of the impasse.

"I want to commend the Federal Government meeting with Labour on the prolonged ASUU strike and hope this will be the last time we would experience such disruption in our academic history", he said.

He noted that although ASUU representatives at the meeting said they had to report back to their members before taking any decision, however, going by ASUU President Dr Nasir Isa Fagge words at the end of the meeting, Aremu expressed the optimism that university undergraduates would resume normal studies next week.

"I hope by next week, university would reopen with the intervention of the NLC. By next week it would all be over he restated.

Comrade Aremu who is the Chairman of African regional executive of Industry warned that the only way to prevent a repeat of such crisis would be, to strengthen collective bargaining economy.

Meanwhile, the guest speaker at the event, Professor Dafe Otobo shed more light on the reasons why ASUU felt slighted by the Federal Government and held on to its gun. He said, "if education is considered an essential service, government should do what needs to be done. If you don't fund the universities, with a student population of over seven million children and education at all levels, then the country is going no where."

Otobo lamented the poor remuneration of university professors which according to him, 'is presently one-third of what a permanent secretary earns, whereas they supposed to be on the same level.

Recall that at Monday's closed-door meeting, the Federal Government team led by President Goodluck Jonathan had offered ASUU a yearly salary of N220 billion over the next five years against ASUU's N350 billion in 2014 and N400 billion yearly, over the next four years.

The Federal Government negotiating team comprised, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike and the Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu.

Source: Dailysun