ASUU Suspends Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a conditional suspension of it five weeks nationwide industrial action till end of October for government to fulfill its pledges.

The decision to suspend the ASUU strike comes following a reconciliation meeting with a Federal Government team which held today (Monday) in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. he union directs all universities to resume tomorrow.

The talks with the Federal Government team came after about two weeks following the union’s consultations with its various chapters on the terms of agreement earlier reached by both parties.

Speaking after a meeting with the Federal Government Negotiation Team, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Abiodun Ogunyemi said in event the government in her characteristic mature failed to implement the agreement, the union will not hesitate to take appropriate action, adding that all the items on the list have a time line.

Also the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said all the gray areas have been sorted out and an agreement reached.

He said that members of the union had insisted that they were tired of having agreements that are not implemented, pointing out that the content of the agreement was taken from the series of meeting with the union since the commencement of the strike.

Ngige said further that that both the government and the union understood themselves and agreed in several issues, assuring that the agreement reached will be implemented by the government in line with available resources.

Areas of agreement include funding for revitalization of public universities and the issue of Earn Academic Allowances, the issue of University Staff Schools and the implementation of the judgement of the National Industrial Court, National Universities Pension Management Company and guidelines for pension matters for Professors.