INFORMATION NIGERIA » ASUU

ASUU formally calls off strike

Information Nigeria — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:46:00 +0000

Following the accord reached between it and the Federal Government, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday formally called off the four months old strike action.

President, ASUU, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie who announced this at a media briefing in Abuja, however, asked the Federal Government to urgently negotiate and sign an agreement with SSANU, NASU and NAAT to enable full academic activities resume in the nation’s universities. He also demanded that the government should increase the budgetary allocation to education sector from 13% in 2009 to 18% in 2010.

According to Prof. Awuzie, “the National Executive Committee (NEC) of ASUU, through the Principal Officers, obtained from its negotiating team the agreement it signed with the Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday, October 21, 2009, resolved to suspend indefinitely, with effect from Friday October 23, 2009, the strike embarked upon by ASUU on June 22, 2009.

Awuzie who noted “the agreement prescribed the UNESCO minimum of 26 per cent of the annual budget to education, by both federal and state governments. Specifically it states; “being mindful of the processes for the meeting of this goal of 26 per cent annual budgetary allocation to education as enunciated in the UNESCO benchmark, the Federal Government shall endeavor to progressively increase its budgetary allocation to the education sector in accordance with its vision 20-20-20- programme.

He therefore, alled on all students, parents, central labour organisations-NLC, TUC and civil society groups, profession associations to ensure that government fulfils this provision in the agreement. He added that, “in particular, since government since government announced an allocation of 13% to education in 2009, Nigerians are entitled, on the basis of government’s agreement with ASUU, to expect higher than 13% in 2010.

“We urge the public interest groups to demand from government a budgetary allocation to education sector of at least 18% in 2010.

On the uniform funding of the state and federal universities, he said; ASUU has since 1992, insisted that we should never have a multiplicity of academic standards in Nigeria.

“We cannot divide universities into low and higher standard institutions in the same structure. There should be just one system with one set of minimum standard that will keep the system internationally competitive.

This is ASUU’s position. This is why we have insisted that what our union has negotiated is a minimum benchmark set up in the system.
Source: thisdayonline.com
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ASUU Suspends Strike for Two Weeks

Information Nigeria — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:38:00 +0000

The Academic Staff Union of Universities yesterday suspended the strike action it embarked upon since June 22, for two weeks, “to enable a cordial atmosphere for the peaceful conclusion of negotiations” between it and the federal government.
In a swift reaction, the Minister of Education, Sam Egwu expressed optimism that the decision would eventually pave the way for lasting peace in the sector.
Announcing the suspension at the Imo State University, Owerri, ASUU president, Professor Ukach-ukwu Awuzie on behalf of its National Executive Council said the strike action would not have taken place if the federal government had done what was expected of it initially.
He recalled that the strike was inevitable following the refusal by the government to sign the agreement it “willingly, through the process of collective bargaining, entered into with the union after two and half years of negotiations.”
The ASUU president said: “If there was mutual confidence and understanding between ASUU and government, there would have been no strike.
“ASUU realizes the impact of the strike on students, and is yielding to the clarion calls by concerned Nigerians, while being optimistic that the federal government would not relent in her agreement with ASUU.”
The ASUU president stressed the need for the state governors to be involved in what goes on within the systems as they were misinformed on the whole situation, “hence they misunderstood the terms of the agreement reached.”
He added that state universities must attain minimum standards of whatever the federal government agrees with ASUU.
On the issue of public umbrage towards the ASUU action, Awuzie observed that such would not have been the case since the union did not act alone and “both parties were involved in the action, even though ASUU was on the right track.”
Awuzie called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency to conclude agreements with other unions in the university system so that the universities can return to proper operations “and to avoid any actions that are capable of destroying the existing harmony among the unions on the campuses.”
He commended the intervention of President Umaru Yar’Adua through the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
The union also acknowledged the efforts of the president, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar; the Speaker, House of Represe-ntatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole; Nigerian students “and other labour movements, including the Trade Union Congress, civil society organisations, the Education Rights Campaign and various students’ organisations.”
“We also thank the legislature, media organisations and Nigerians generally for their solidarity and support,” Awuzie said.
Egwu in his reaction stated: “I am delighted and hopeful that we have, alongside Oshiomhole achieved what we have now, which is the agreement with ASUU to call off the strike for two-weeks and for renegotiations to begin.”
Egwu noted that the prolonged strike and its attendant consequence of keeping university students at home and the long term effect on the university system, compelled the two sides to re-appraise their positions.
The minister explained that “while the federal government retains the university autonomy granted recently, the grey issue of salary increase remains at 40 per cent pending renegotiations through collective bargaining with the union.”
On the insistence by ASUU that the federal government signed an agreement with it, Egwu said: “if that is the case, such an agreement would imperil the state universities.
“What we have agreed to do is for the Pro-chancellors rather than university councils of all federal universities should sign the agreements on behalf of government.”
While regretting what he described as the avoidably prolonged strike action, Egwu promised: “We are putting this behind us and ensuring that this doesn’t happen again because of the destructive effects of these recurring prolonged strike actions.
“We are hopeful that this latest respite would eventually lead to a final resolution as we are determined to evolve long term solutions that would return our higher institutions to global standards.”
ASUU last June embarked on an indefinite strike to protest the failure by the federal government to sign the report of the Gamaliel Onosode-led committee set up in 2006 to re-negotiate the 2001 agreement between the union and government.
The strike continued as negotiation between the government and ASUU broke down following the government’s insistence that it could not sign any agreement that would be binding on state governors.
As a result, negotiations were discontinued until recently when President Yar’Adua invited Oshiomhole to intervene, with a view to resolving the dispute amicably.
Oshiomhole, thereafter met with the representatives of the union and government on October 3 at National Unive-rsities Commission (NUC) secretariat in Abuja.
Meanwhile, a Vice Chance-llor of one the federal universities, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the two-week suspension was too short to invite the students back to school.
“We are hopeful that the matter will be resolved quickly, but this is uncertain. The time is too short for us to invite the students back to school,” he said.
Meanwhile, the federal Government has reached a working understanding with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), which were also on strike.
Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, who addressed newsmen at the end of a meeting between the unions and government officials, said government had no intention of treating the issues concerning university unions separately, adding that he received the permission of the president to discuss with all the unions – ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT.
Source: thisdayonline.com
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ASUU Strike: ASUU defers final decision till Friday

Information Nigeria — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Hopes that the 109-day-old strike by public university lecturers would be called off on Tuesday have been dashed, as the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities asked Nigerians to wait till Friday for its final decision on the issue.

The National Executive Council of ASUU had met on Tuesday night to deliberate on the new offer presented to the union’s negotiating team by the Federal Government, after the intervention of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.

Many had hoped that the outcome of the meeting would result in the suspension of the strike.

But a top source at the meeting confided in one of our correspondents that the NEC decided that branch chairmen of the union should go back to their respective chapters to brief lecturers about the offer and the position to take thereafter.

“The strike is not yet over. You have to wait till Friday when the national president, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, will brief the press on our position on the current action. For now, the NEC’s directive is that we should go back to our various universities to brief our members, after which we will get back to the NEC and on Friday, this week, a press conference will hold, where our position will be made known to the public,” the source revealed.

Asked to comment on the new offer by the government, the source told our correspondent to wait till Friday. The source only said that the government had shifted it’s earlier position on earlier refusal to sign the agreement on behalf of the state governments.

The ASUU president also expressed a similar view in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, saying that the issues involved would have to be discussed at the local chapter level before a final decision would be reached.

He said, “The decision is that state chapters of the union have to make their input in line with the democratic principles of the union.”

Asked to comment on the areas of contention, Awuzie said he could not do that since our correspondent was not a member of the NEC.

He said, “If I tell you the areas of discussion, then you have become a member of the NEC. Are you a member of NEC?”

But he said that no date had been fixed for the reconvening of the NEC meeting.

“We have not taken any specific date yet, but they have to make their input soonest. That means we have to get their input as soon as possible,” he said.

But the top source at the NEC meeting, which held behind closed doors on Tuesday, said that Friday had been picked as the day that the final decision would be made known to the public.

Another source, who attended the NEC meeting, said that members expressed divergent opinions on the proposal by the Federal Government that individual universities should decide the remuneration of lecturers.

Some had insisted that the state universities should be adequately catered for in the negotiations.

The decision by ASUU to call the NEC meeting was taken last Friday after several meetings with the Edo State governor and the Federal Government team.

Though the Chairman, ASUU, University of Lagos Chapter, Dr. Ayo Olowe, confirmed that the union would brief the media on Friday, he refused to comment on the details of Tuesday’s meeting.

“Just wait, exercise some patience. By Friday you will know the union’s position,” he said.

Meanwhile, priests in the Anglican Dioceses of Akure and Ife East have called on the Federal Government to put an end to the strike.

They lamented that the delay in resolving the crisis which had kept students at home for the past four months, had caused more harm than good.

Source: punchng.com
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ASUU Strike: ASUU fails to reach consensus

Information Nigeria — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:02:00 +0000

There was strong indication in Abuja that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday failed to arrive at a consensus on the modalities to resolved the over three months industrial action.

Leadership of ASUU while rising from its nearly 49 hours NEC meeting held in Abuja, decided that the branch chapters will hold congresses to make input into the final decision in line with the tradition of the union.

ASUU National President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, who confirmed the development, explained the NEC of the union had agreed that the branches of ASUU should make input into the decision reached with the Education Minister, Dr. Sam Egwu.

He stated further that until that is done before the NEC will take the next step.

“We decided that the branch chapters of our union should make input into the decisions reached with Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, he said.

According to the President, all the local branches of the union had until this week to call their congress and discuss the issues.

The latest development would have seriously altered the expectation that the strike would be called off today as special gift to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and his cabinet members during today’s Federal executive Council (FEC) meeting.

The development has further put on the balance early hope of resolving the about 107-day-old industrial action embarked upon by the universities lecturers.

Source: vanguardngr.com
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ASUU-Unical Advises Members to Shun Post Jamb Test

Information Nigeria — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:36:00 +0000

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)-University of Calabar Branch has advised all members of the union not participate in the post Jamb-Test by the university scheduled for October 13, 17, 2009 insisting that the union (uncial) is still on strike.

A statement by the union signed by its Chairman, Dr. Chike Ekeopara dated October 2, and made available to our correspondent in Calabar “Our attention has been drawn to an advertorial in The Nation Newspaper of October 2, 2009 inviting inviting intending candidates for the Post-JAMB Test scheduled to hold from Tuesday October 13 to Saturday October 17 2009.

“We wish to inform the general public that ASUU members in the University of Calabar are still on strike and will not participate in the planned Post-JAMB test,” Ekeopara stated.

He warned that any member who participates in the test in any form at all would be treated as strike breaker insisting that all the union members should comply with the directive.

It would be recalled that the union had last week, sought the intervention of the Cross River State government including the state legislature in the on-going strike by the union over poor funding of the university system by the federal government.

The call was made during a meeting with Governor Liyel Imoke at the Governor’s office and a subsequent meeting with the leadership of the state’s legislature at the House of Assembly complex after a mass rally by members of the union around major streets of Calabar, the state’s capital.

Chairman of ASUU-UNICAL Branch, Dr. Ekeopara in his address to the governor, observed with dismay, what he called, the federal government’s insensitivity to the academic obligations of the country to the citizenry as demonstrated by the government in the about three months strike by the union over repeated calls on the government to improve its funding to the universities and education generally.

Ekeopara said the call on the Cross River State government to intervene in the matter was because of the suspicion that the Presidential aides may not have presented the ASUU is demands to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in a proper and unadulterated manner and may have misled him which was why the president did not respond to such genuine and sincere calls to improve the educational system.

To buttress ASUU’s genuine intention for the country’s university system, the union used the forum to further dispatch a direct mail to the President on its demands hoping that by the time he reads the message by himself, he would have course to address the call by ASUU for improved funding of the system.

Responding, the governor who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Efiok Cobham commended the union for conducting themselves in an orderly manner even as their demands were well-intended.

He said it was necessary for government to re-negotiate with ASUU for the sake of the poor citizens of the country and for the growth of the Nigerian human capacity.
Imoke opined that although the federal government as any employer has the right to determine what to pay its employees, there was need for mutual understanding for both parties to function effectively and so implored the duo to find reasons to meet and resolve the three months crisis.

Similarly, the Chairman, Committee on Education of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Larry Odey expressed the commitment of the House to ensuring the well being and functionality of all government’s establishments for the benefit of the citizens and therefore promised to take a position on the matter after all the members must have critically studied the ASUU’S demands.

He commended members of the union for the confidence reposed in the House to mediate in the matter with a view to ensuring stability in the polity.
Source: champion.com.ng
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ASUU will end strike within a week, Oshiomhole says

Information Nigeria — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have reached an agreement on how to quickly resolve the ongoing strike by university lecturers.

Mr. Oshiomhole spoke in Abuja on Saturday at a press briefing shortly after a meeting between the government and the union.

He said the union would hold a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and announce the suspension of the strike in the shortest possible time.

“Both parties have all agreed that once ASUU suspends the strike, the remaining issues would be resolved in a very short time — not more than a week, so that the university system can return to normalcy,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governor as saying.

“We have had an exhaustive discussion with both government and ASUU and all the key issues have been well taken care of,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

He said both parties had reached an understanding that the union would call off the strike any moment.

The union’s President, Uwazie Ukachukwu, said that the suggestions made at the meeting would be presented to its national executive committee for consideration “within three days”.

In his remarks, the Minister of Education, Sam Egwu, said all the parties involved in the dispute had made progress towards a resolution.

Mr. Egwu commended Mr. Oshiomhole for his intervention in the matter.

He also thanked the union’s leadership for its show of understanding, expressing confidence that the dispute would be permanently resolved.

“I believe that after this period, we shall witness rapid growth and development so that the desires of ASUU, that of government and all Nigerians would be achieved,” Mr. Egwu said.

“It is also my belief that at the end of every crisis, there must always be a positive development and that is what would happen to Nigeria in this situation.”
Source: 234next.com
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ASUU Strike: FG, ASUU talks break down again – As Oshiomhole fails to broker peace – Varsity teachers protest in Owerri

Information Nigeria — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:31:00 +0000

THE truce parley brokered by the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Tuesday, was said to have been tempestuous.The meeting which began at about 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday ended at 4.30 a.m. on Wednesday without much progress made.

The action has now been shifted to Aso Rock, where Oshiomhole and the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, have to once again meet with President Umaru Yar’Adua to brief him on the development.

A source told Nigerian Tribune that not much was achieved in the meeting because it was characterised by arguments right from the agenda drawn for the meeting.

The meeting, held at the National Universities Commission (NUC), had ASUU executive members led by its national chairman, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, while the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, led the government team.

Oshiomhole had in his remark before the closed door meeting said the meeting was convened to revisit the dispute in the hope of finding an amicable resolution to the crisis.

He said, “This meeting was convened so that we can revisit the dispute between the Federal Government and ASUU and the aim is to find a common ground to proceed so that the dispute can be resolved and the universities restored.”

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the meeting was not centred on compelling ASUU to call off the strike or force the government to sign the draft agreement that has been the contentious issue, but to find a common ground on which to continue negotiations.

When Nigerian Tribune contacted ASUU president on his mobile phone, he declined comments on the meeting, saying he was not the convener of the meeting and that Oshiomhole should be the one to brief journalists on what was discussed.

But it was learnt that Oshiomhole made his intention to meet with Yar’Adua known before any further meeting. The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, had, however, at an event in his office on Wednesday while making reference to the meeting, said reasonable progress was made.

Meanwhile, the ASUU, Owerri zone, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful demonstration on major roads in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, down to the Government House, to hand down their protest letter to the state governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, for delivery to President Umaru Yar’Adua in Abuja.

In the letter signed by ASUU’s zonal coordinator, Owerri, Dr. S. M. Nzota, and his colleagues from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and Imo State University (IMSU), Dr. R.A. Ejimofor and V.C. Nwulu respectively, they appealed to President Yar’Adua to urgently intervene to save Nigerian universities from total collapse.

According to Dr. Nzota, who read the letter, after two years of painstaking negotiation, the agreement arrived at promised revamping of public universities in Nigeria as well as stopping the rot in the system.

He said, “unfortunately, this agreement has been subjected to serious misinterpretation by government machinery and bureaucracy.

Tribune
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Reps Move To End Asuu Strike

Information Nigeria — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Dimeji Bankole and the House Committee on Education is holding talks with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) on an end to the over two month strike of university teachers.

Rep. Farouk Lawan, chairman House Committee on Education, Rep Faruk Lawan had yesterday met with the ASUU president, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie and other members of the union including two former ASUU presidents, Dr. Abdullahi Kano and Dr. Dipo Fashina as well as Dr. Nasir for about three hours.

Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, Lawan explained that the meeting was part of the ongoing consultation to resolve the crisis and restore stability into the nation’s education system.

He said “we are trying to find lasting solution to the crisis. ASUU has been on strike for several weeks, since the commencement of the industrial action, the committee on education deem it proper to interact with the leadership of
ASUU and Minister of Education, Minister of State on Education and Labour with the view to solve the problem.

“I met with two sides separately and jointly in the bid to broker truce among the parties. This has become a very devastating not only o university education but progress to achieve stability in the education system. I also visited the Minister of Education to find a way of intervening and ending the crisis.

“Today we had quite exhaustive issues on key issues. A lot of effort is going on several interest groups and the
National Assembly as well as Oshiomhole and NLC to make sure that issues that led to the strike are resolved. For us as a committee we will continue to explore major avenues to ensure peaceful resolution of the crisis. The aim of the intervention is to stabilise education in this country with the improvement of education in the country.”

…submit report on 2009 budget next week

The Standing Committees in the House of Representatives are expected to turn in their reports on the budget performance of ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’s) of government as they resume sitting next week Tuesday.

Besides the House has also reiterated its commitment to review the 1999 Constitution and overhaul the electoral process in the Country.

Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Ita Enang who disclosed this yesterday said in preparation towards the receipt of the 2010 Appropriation Bill, the House would consider reports from all its committees to assess the level of implementation of the 2009 budget, adding that the outcome would determine how the 2010 proposal may be approved.

It will be recalled that before proceeding on its long vacation on July 30, 2009, the House had issued a warning to President Umar Musa Yar’Adua and executive arm of government to fully implement the Appropriation Act or face sanctions.

According to him, everything was already set for the resumption which had been shifted from the earlier announced September 29th to enable members participate in the 49th Independence anniversary of today, adding that there were no challenges to alter the planned resumption date.

Vanguard
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ASUU strike: 700,000 varsity students to walk naked in Abuja – Plan to disrupt U-17 FIFA World Cup – ASUU, NASU protest in Abeokuta

Information Nigeria — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:42:00 +0000

ABOUT 700,000 students from various universities have decided to storm Abuja next month to go naked, because of the strike that has kept all of them at home. .
This was made known by the Students Mobilisation Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Sylvester Eze, while briefing newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Tuesday.
According to him, the NANS meeting, which is coming up next month, would be an avenue to show the world their grievances by going naked. He explained that they would be having their bath openly and eating openly in all the major streets and roads of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He said President Umaru Yar’Adua made education one of his seven-point agenda, adding that any government that could not develop its human resources through education had no need to continue in office

He said: “And for failing to carry education along, we hereby pass a vote of no confidence in the president’s seven-point agenda.” Eze pointed out that the benchmark budget for education by UNESCO was 26 per cent, adding that Nigeria had consistently approved budget less than eight per cent for education with this year’s allocation, two per cent, being the worst.
He added “As part of plans to make government sign the agreement, we are mobilising and conscientising students across the federation not to allow the forthcoming U-17 World Cup to be hosted in Nigeria and so we will do all that we can to see that that event does not succeed if we are still at home before it kicks off.”
Meanwhile, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of the University of Agriculture, (UNAAB), Abeokuta, took to the streets of the Ogun State capital, on Tuesday morning, protesting the alleged insensitivity of the Federal Government to the demands of the unions.
The peaceful protest virtually brought both vehicular and commercial activities to a halt as the protesters carried placards with various inscriptions asking the Federal Government to implement the agreement, earlier signed with the unions.
The protesters went through major areas like Isale- Igbein, Omida, Oke-Ilewo, and Sapon. The chairman of ASUU, UNAAB branch, Dr. Agboola Adesina, appealed to the Federal Government to go back to the negotiating table with ASUU and sign the agreement on increased funding of the nation’s universities, improved conditions of service for members, among other demands.
The union leader appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on President Yar’Adua, the Education Minister, Dr. Sam Egwu, and Professor Julius Okojie, Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), who were all lecturers in the university system to end the current crisis which has paralysed the nation’s universities since June.
Adesina said that ASUU had made spirited efforts to ensure that a conducive atmosphere for learning was created in all the nation’s universities, as he stated that there was enormous decay in physical facilities and that there were no facilities to teach the students.
The ASUU leader pointed out that the Federal Government had failed in the area of meeting the 26 per cent budget recommendation for education by UNESCO as he said that only 1.7 per cent of the current budget was allocated to education.
ASUU, therefore, called on senators, legislators and councillors to ask the Federal Government to sign the ASUU-FG agreement now. SSANU chairman, UNAAB branch, Mr. Olayiwola Salaam, faulted the Federal Government for rescinding the decision agreed on with the union on salary structure, saying that the collective bargaining freely entered into with the union was disclaimed, as it announced a unilateral increase of 40 per cent for ASUU and 20 per cent for other unions.
Salaam explained that the struggle by the unions was not for their personal interests but for all Nigerian youths and the nation at large on the need for qualitative education in the nation’s universities.
In a related development, hope for eventual resolution of the lingering crisis in the nation’s university system came alive on Tuesday with the commencement of the much-awaited renegotiation between the Federal Government and ASUU. The meeting took off at about 7.30 p.m. at the secretariat of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Tribune
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Govt, ASUU resume talks today, SSANU plans prayers

Information Nigeria — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:42:00 +0000

THE intervention of Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, in the industrial disagreement between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) seems to be yielding fruits as both feuding parties have agreed to meet today to explore areas of mutual understanding towards ending the four-month old strike action.
The Guardian learnt that the parley, scheduled for the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja at 4.00 p.m. today, will be preceded by a parley between ASUU and Oshiomhole at the Labour House, headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), at 11.00 a.m.
The meeting, it was further gathered, was meant to smoothen the grounds for the meeting with government officials later today.
Though the detail of those to attend the meeting was sketchy as at yesterday, The Guardian learnt that the President of the Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar, the General Secretary, John Odah, will be leading the ASUU President and his group to the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has instructed its members to observe a three-day fasting and prayers for the early resolution of the imbroglio.
Addressing journalists in Abuja at the end of its emergency meeting, SSANU Deputy President, Malam Bala Gadanga Sokoto, said the association decided to seek God’s intervention since the Federal Government has refused to listen to the advice of prominent Nigerians, including the pro-chancellors, traditional and religious leaders.
He said: “This emergency National Executive Council (NEC) has therefore ordered its members to fast and pray between the 5th and the 7th, three days, for God’s intervention since government will not listen to the intervention of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, will not listen to that of the Pro-Chancellors and will not listen to that of Chancellors who are custodians of our culture. The important thing is that three very strategic committees, the Committee of Vice Chancellors (CVC), the Pro-Chancellors and finally the Chancellors who also double as the conscience and the custodian of our culture have intervened and government is not interested. We want to resolve this issue so that our students can return to school and give peace to their parents and guardians.”
Though he welcomed the latest truce spearheaded by Oshiomhole, Sokoto stated that the effort might be futile if government comes to the meeting with a fixation of an already pre-determined position.
“His involvement is a welcome development. Not just because he is our leader, he is not a former leader, he is still our leader, but because anything that will be an equitable resolution to this issue must be encouraged, welcomed and supported because we believe that the issues at stake are simple and that any sincere arbitrator would be able to see that the issues can be resolved in a matter of days. But this matter cannot be resolved within the concept of a fixated position by the Federal Government

but I am confident that our leader must have taken those into consideration before accepting this onerous task,” he said.
Oshiomhole’s intervention is the latest in the series of efforts by stakeholders to intervene in the ASUU/FG crisis.
The Senate Committee on Education, headed by Mrs. Joy Emordi, had tried unsuccessfully to persuade the teachers to go back to the classroom. The meeting between the committee and the ASUU leadership ended abruptly over a disagreement on how to resolve the crisis.
Besides, an attempt by the Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, to resolve the crisis was rejected when the teachers were asked to suspend their strike. In August, after all attempts to resolve the issue failed, the Federal Government issued a warning that it would invoke the no-work-no-pay rule if the teachers failed to return to work.
And in a swift response, the ASUU leadership called the government’s bluff, insisting that the strike would go on for as long as it takes their demands to be met. In fact, ASUU’s President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, accused the government of playing politics with the university system because, according to him, children of most government officials are not in Nigerian universities but in institutions abroad.
Education Minister, Sam Egwu, shot back, insisting that children of ASUU members were also in foreign universities.
Indeed, there have been several accusations and counter-accusations since the strike started. While the government gave the impression that the teachers were on strike because of salaries, the union insisted that the collective issues affecting the university system informed their latest action.
Guardian
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