The
meeting between the Federal Government and the striking Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU, may have yielded results, as there are now
indications the on-going strike 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.
Suswam
told journalists in Abuja after attending a meeting between the Federal
Government’s delegation and ASUU that agreements had been reached by
both parties on all issues save two.
“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.
“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
said agreement has been reached on 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.
“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,” he said.
Present
at 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, among others.
