There have been indications that after Monday’s meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the four month strike of the lecturers may finally end. As of 12.30 am (Tuesday), the meeting was still ongoing. The FG is reported to be desperate to work out an agreement with ASUU.
A closed-door meeting has started on Monday at 2:40 pm inside the First Lady Conference Room, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The parties are still negotiating, as of 12:30 am (Tuesday).“My president, I hope it will end today. Our children have suffered enough. We must find a solution.”
All those in attendance responded with a loud “amen.”
When greeting the NLC President, Abdulwahab Omar, Jonathan said:
“My president with you around today, there will be no problem, our agreement is signed, sealed and delivered.”
This is the first meeting between the lecturers and Jonathan since the beginning of the strike. The Presidency took over negotiations with the striking lecturers September 19, with the Vice-President Namadi Sambo spearheading the FG side.
The lecturers were seen meeting among themselves in their bus during the break that has started at 6.30 pm. When State House correspondents tried to talk to the lecturers, some of them replied that they would return to continue their discussions with the President. No details of there discussion have been yet made known.
Apart from Fagge and Jonathan, the meeting has in attendance the President, Vice President, Namadi Sambo; Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim; Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike; and Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu among others.
The ASUU is presented by Prof. Abdulahi Sule-Kano, Prof. Dipo Fashina and Prof. Festus Iyayi, Prof. Suleiman Abdul, and Prof. Abdullahi Sule-Kano. President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Abdulawahid Omar and that of the Trade Union Congress, Bobboi Kaigama, are also there.
Preparatory to the meeting, Senate President, David Mark met with the leadership of ASUU at the National Assembly. He regretted that the strike had lingered for the past five months, and called for a win-win resolution to the industrial action. He then led the Union’s representatives to the Presidential Villa after the meeting.
The 2009 agreement
ASUU has embarked upon an indefinite strike July 1, 2013. The lecturers protest against an alleged FG’s failure to honor an agreement signed between the FG and ASUU in 2009.
Part of the agreement dwelt on funding of universities where both parties agreed that each federal university should get at least N1.5 trillion between 2009 and 2011 while state universities, within the same period, should receive N3.6 million per student.
The agreement was signed by Bolanle Babalakin, the then chairman of Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities; Gamaliel Onosode, chairman of the re-negotiation committee; and Ukachukwu Awuzei, the then president of ASUU.
It is still unclear, however, how much of the agreement have been met by the FG. The secretary to the federation, Pius Anyim, has recently stated that most of the issues contained in the 2009 document had been fully met except for the earned allowances estimated at N92 billion.
We will keep you updated…
We are still praying for the outcome..
While you’re still praying, they’re still hopping… smh!
My advise 2 the FG is dis,after all dat has been done concerning d Asuu strike.Lecturers shld be duely scrutinized bcos nt all lect re wat d stress Asuu re fighting for.My ernest advice 2 FG is dat our Nig universities ve terrible lect dat are nt worthy of been 1.
My advise 2 the FG is dis,after all dat has been done concerning d Asuu strike.Lecturers shld be duely scrutinized bcos nt all lect re worth d stress Asuu is fighting for.My ernest advice 2 FG is dat our Nig universities ve terrible lect dat are nt worthy of been 1. Many of them should be relieved of their duties. Can u imagine a lect using dsame note he used in 2003 to teach students in 2013,without no addition nd no subtraction. Dat is very very bad!infact Nigeria needs Jesus.
We chillin 4 u guys
Finaly our lord Jesus christ have hered d cry of Our Nigeria student on a batle b/w FG and ASUU.
I’m happy 4 dis news.thanks naija info,keep it up.
dat z d sign of a victory,… eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh
please has the strike been called off?
Dnt be 2 emphasised yet ooo it is just a mere dialogue bw the fg and the asuu union Gudluck jonathan m8 stil be funy in nt m8ing up wt the unions agreement and those wounded lions are nt ready to compromised lets all of us just pray dat God should touch their to m8 up wt their demand ooo cant wait to be in skul mising my frds already!!!lol.
At last, there is still hope for sch again.
I hope so
There has been a controversial debate about three young Nigerian artiste’s who hit Nigeria’s music industry like the Tsunami. We all know that this three musicians are very good in twisting and winding their waist. Flavour, Iyanya and Kcee are the 3 kings of winding in Nigeria and maybe Africa. But amongst this three kings there has to be only one King who would boss the other two. So we have now put this as a discussion out there for you to Judge. And the highest votes wins the winding game.
So drop off your comments and tell us who the real Oga at the top is. Sharply
nigeria leaders are very very selfcentered people.if there children were to be studying in this country,they wount even embark on a month strike.but there no problem at all.we will not stay in this world forever.and God will judge every body according to his work on earth.if they like they should leave the strike till 2019. Our destiny will never change. Am ashame of this country.
I think the strike will be called off soon
I am very delighted to hear that the 5month-old ASUU lingering strike would soon come to an end. Not just delighted because the children are going back to class, but very happy in the sense that it makes me feel like a Nigerian again; why because I can’t comprehend the reason responsible for such strike, most importantly in a country like Nigeria which is regarded as one of the most educated and richest in Africa, if not the whole world. Please, Nigeria leaders spare Nigerians the hassles of going through these kind senseless situation of not going through strike of these nature again.
i cn wait for dis two market women to do smtyn
dey shud not call off d strike again, some students hav strtd doing sometn more better
Õh Lord, i beleive in my hrt dat dis is the final end of asuu/fg conflict. Lord we hope n pray dis wud never occcur again. So be it IJN
GOD PORNICH U PPLE.
how are they going to do with those that wrote jamb, some people are saying that they will restart a semester, if they do that admission will be less.
All gratitude be to ALLAH.