- To Meet In Abuja
THERE are indications that normalcy will soon return to the nation's university system as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has indicated its readiness to call its National Executive Council (NEC) to examine negotiations it held with the Federal Government over some areas of disagreement.
Emerging from a meeting brokered by the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, in Abuja in the early hours of yesterday, the ASUU President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie described the parley as fruitful but declined to say whether the strike action will be suspended immediately. Instead, he stated that ASUU would be meeting soon to take a look at the products of the discussion.
His words: "ASUU has procedures, whatever we have looked at will be properly presented to the National Executive Council of ASUU, they will consider the presentations and we do hope they will take informed decision. This, we have also assured you, will be done in the shortest possible time. That is the situation. I want to once again say that we will do it, if it is possible, to summon NEC within the next three days."
However, he sounded a caution that the industrial peace can only be achieved if government opens line of discussion with all the unions in the system, "so that when we return, we shall have a university."
Adams Oshiomhole, though said negotiation went well, observed that it was clear that the university dons might have capitulated on their words not to call off the strike until negotiation begins.
Oshiomhole clarified further: "Mr. President has been quite anxious that these negotiations be concluded and he is giving us all the support that was required and we have had exhaustive discussions with both government and ASUU, and all the key issues have been very well taken care of, and we have gotten to a point where we are happy to say that government and ASUU have reached some understanding; and ASUU is now expected as a democratic organization to call the meeting of his own National Executive Council (NEC) to consider the possibility of suspending the strike so that negotiation can commence."
Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, declared: "I will say that I am one of the happiest man today. I want to concur and agree with what the Comrade Governor and President of ASUU said that we are all in agreement and we have made progress towards resolving this face-off between government and ASUU. I want to thank the comrade Governor for his intervention and all others that have also intervened previously towards resolving this issue, but this latest intervention has been very successful.
"I want to also thank the ASUU and the NLC leadership for showing some understanding. I am confident that with what has happened within these two days, that very soon, we shall come out of these crises. In other word, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel."
Saying that the prolonged strike will indeed leave the university system the better for it in the long run, Egwu affirmed: "I believe that the university system, after this period, will witness accelerated growth and development so that the decision and desire of ASUU, that of government and all Nigerians, will be achieved for the better, greater benefits of all Nigerians. I believe that for every crisis, there must always be a positive development after the crisis; and that is what I expect will happen with the university system in Nigeria."
Adapted from the 'Guardian'
THERE are indications that normalcy will soon return to the nation's university system as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has indicated its readiness to call its National Executive Council (NEC) to examine negotiations it held with the Federal Government over some areas of disagreement.
Emerging from a meeting brokered by the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, in Abuja in the early hours of yesterday, the ASUU President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie described the parley as fruitful but declined to say whether the strike action will be suspended immediately. Instead, he stated that ASUU would be meeting soon to take a look at the products of the discussion.
His words: "ASUU has procedures, whatever we have looked at will be properly presented to the National Executive Council of ASUU, they will consider the presentations and we do hope they will take informed decision. This, we have also assured you, will be done in the shortest possible time. That is the situation. I want to once again say that we will do it, if it is possible, to summon NEC within the next three days."
However, he sounded a caution that the industrial peace can only be achieved if government opens line of discussion with all the unions in the system, "so that when we return, we shall have a university."
Adams Oshiomhole, though said negotiation went well, observed that it was clear that the university dons might have capitulated on their words not to call off the strike until negotiation begins.
Oshiomhole clarified further: "Mr. President has been quite anxious that these negotiations be concluded and he is giving us all the support that was required and we have had exhaustive discussions with both government and ASUU, and all the key issues have been very well taken care of, and we have gotten to a point where we are happy to say that government and ASUU have reached some understanding; and ASUU is now expected as a democratic organization to call the meeting of his own National Executive Council (NEC) to consider the possibility of suspending the strike so that negotiation can commence."
Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, declared: "I will say that I am one of the happiest man today. I want to concur and agree with what the Comrade Governor and President of ASUU said that we are all in agreement and we have made progress towards resolving this face-off between government and ASUU. I want to thank the comrade Governor for his intervention and all others that have also intervened previously towards resolving this issue, but this latest intervention has been very successful.
"I want to also thank the ASUU and the NLC leadership for showing some understanding. I am confident that with what has happened within these two days, that very soon, we shall come out of these crises. In other word, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel."
Saying that the prolonged strike will indeed leave the university system the better for it in the long run, Egwu affirmed: "I believe that the university system, after this period, will witness accelerated growth and development so that the decision and desire of ASUU, that of government and all Nigerians, will be achieved for the better, greater benefits of all Nigerians. I believe that for every crisis, there must always be a positive development after the crisis; and that is what I expect will happen with the university system in Nigeria."
Adapted from the 'Guardian'
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