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
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