The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reached an agreement with the federal government to end the over three months strike.
The agreement was reached and a deal was signed at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
Chris Ngige, minister of labour, led the government’s delegation while Abiodun Ogunyemi, president of ASUU, spoke on behalf of ASUU.
Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting, Ogunyemi said the union was optimistic that the end of the industrial action was near.
“On Sunday, 4th November, 2018, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resumed its strike action which was conditionally suspended on 14th September, 2017,” he said.
“The action of 2017 was suspended following the signing of a memorandum of action (MoA) in which the federal government of Nigeria (FGN) promised to address the contentious issues within a timeline that was
to end in October 2017.
“While announcing the suspension of the nationwide action, however, our Union made it categorically clear that ASUU will not hesitate to review its position should government renege on the signed Memorandum of Action.
“Predictably, Government implemented the MoA in the breach, thereby forcing ASUU to resume the suspended strike action. Comrades and compatriots, as we have always argued, the last thing ASUU members love doing is to cause disruption in smooth intellectual engagements with colleagues, friends and students right on our university campuses. This has nothing to do with the dubious advertorial of non-disruption of academic calendar by proprietors and administrators of some cash-and-carry universities and other self-styled enemies of ASUU.
“Rather, it is about deep-seated pains members of the Union undergo to prevent strike actions and the equally painful consequences strike situations bring to all who are genuinely averse to the mercantile disposition to university education.
Ngige who read the agreement signed by both parties, expressed optimism that the strike would be suspended. “This is going to be a conclusive meeting and conciliatory meeting between Federal Government and ASUU. This dispute culminated into a strike that started on the 5th of November, 2018.”
According to him the parties unanimously resolved the eight contentious issues that had prolonged the strike. He noted that the issue of the NUMPENCO has been resolved as ASUU collected the licence on the 28th January, 2019.
Besides, the Minister said that the Visitation panel has also been instituted and will commence work on 2nd March with the view to sanitizing the tertiary institutions, adding that it was in tandem with anti corruption campaign.
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/breaking-asuu-suspends-strike/