ASSU UPDATES

A crucial meeting between the leadership of the
striking members of the Academic Staff Union
of Universities and President Goodluck
Jonathan has dragged into the late night,
without words on whether a truce was in sight.
It was the first meeting between the union and
President Jonathan since the strike began 1
July, shutting down almost all state and
Federal government owned universities in
Nigeria.
The Federal Government had initially offered
the striking teachers N30billion to pay for
allowances piled up since government and the
union hammered out an agreement in 2009.
Government also offered N100billion to pay for
improvements of facilities in the universities.
ASUU rejected the offer as too small and
insisted on government implementing in full the
2009 agreement.
The negotiation with the president’s team
reportedly went on a short break at about 6.30
p.m.
The meeting started in the afternoon, at about
2:40 pm inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
On the President’s negotiating team are the
Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who had held a
deadlocked meeting with ASUU in the past,
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 team is led by its Chairman, Dr.
Nasir Isa Fagge, Prof. Abdulahi Sule-Kano,
Prof. Dipo Fashina and Prof. Festus Iyayi, Prof.
Suleiman Abdul, and Prof. Abdullahi Sule-Kano.
Also at the meeting are the President of the
Nigeria Labour Congress, Abdulawahid Omar
and that of the Trade Union Congress, Bobboi
Kaigama.
In banters with the ASUU team, President
Jonathan while shaking hands with Fagge said:
“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.”
Jonathan also expressed similar optimism
when he greeted the NLC president:
“My president with you around today, there will
be no problem, our agreement is signed, sealed
and delivered.”