ASUU may call off strike next week

Indication emerged Friday that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, may call of its strike next week.

This came after a meeting with the striking lecturers and Vice-President, Namadi Sambo in Abuja on Thursday.

The meeting, which held behind closed doors had in attendance the supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike and the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie.

ASUU was led by its National President, Dr. Nasir Faggae, as well as two former Presidents of ASUU; Dr. Dipo Fasina and Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano.

Others at the meeting were the Vice-Chancellors of Bayero University Kano, Prof. Abdulrasheed Abubakar; Prof. Isaac Adewole of the University of Ibadan; and Prof. Muhammed Hamisu of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.

The two parties did not disclose the outcome of the meeting, which lasted for almost two hours to newsmen.

Fagge, however, told State House Correspondents that the union would make its position known after the National Executive Council meeting.

Wike had assured Nigerians that students would soon return to school as the federal government was ready to shift ground.
However, an insider source who does not want his name mentioned said that going by the new offers made by the Federal Government, the strike might be called off within the next two weeks.

This, the source said, was because the Federal Government had agreed to release fund to revitalize the university system.

The source said, “The meeting went well, the vice-president made some new offers that were different from what was on ground before. For instance, the Federal Government had agreed to start the injection of revitalisation fund into the university system starting with N100bn this year and N150bn in 2014 and this will continue until the university system is solid enough to stand.”

The source, however, said that the ASUU team promised to get back to the vice-president after its NEC meeting, which is schedule for today, Saturday.