UPDATE: ASUU To call Off Strike Soon

There are indications that the on-going
strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff
Union of Nigerian Universities might be
called off next Thursday.
Governor of Benue State, Mr Gabriel Suswam
who dropped this hint Friday said ASUU and
the Federal Government had reached
agreements on all the contentious issues
that led to the industrial action except two.
Suswam who was appointed as Chairman of
the Needs Assessment Implementation
Committee of the Federal Government said
after next Thursday's deliberations
between his Committee and the various
agencies of government funding tertiary
education, all the contentious issues would
likely be resolved.
Speaking to news men in Abuja after
attending a meeting between the Federal
Government's delegation and ASUU,
Suswam said that agreements had been
reached by both parties on all issues except
two.
Said he: "We reached agreements on all
issues except two. These two issues are
those of earned allowances of lecturers and
intervention for the federal universities.
These are the only issues that are still
outstanding."
The Benue Governor further said he
believed that by next week after his
Committee would have arrived at an
agreement on all the issues, ASUU would call
off the strike.
He continued: "The SGF would meet with
the leadership of ASUU on the issue of
earned allowances by next Monday.
Then my committee which is dealing with
the issue of the needs assessment of the
universities would meet again next
Thursday and take another look at all the
infrastructural deficits which the federal
universities are facing.
If you go to our universities, you would
agree that they are facing infrastructural
deficits and that is why my committee
would meet with all the funding agencies
next Thursday for the purpose of
prioritizing all the projects that need to be
executed. We are going to invite all the
agencies that are involved in the funding of
the universities including the Central Bank
of Nigeria."
Suswam further stated that the issues on
agreements have been reached include:
those of retirement age for university
lecturers- which has now been increased
from 65 to 70 years; the constitution of the
governing councils of the universities
which has already been done by the
Government; the setting up of a pension
administrator and the issue of persuading
companies operating in the country to set
up research centers in the universities.
Said he: "As far as I am concerned, if the
issues concerning intervention and earned
allowances are resolved next week, then
the strike could be called off"
Among those who attended the meeting
were Secretary to the Government of the
Federation Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,
Minister of Labour, Hon. Emeka Wogu,
Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayatu Rufai
and President of Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU), Dr Nasir Fagge.