Universities (ASUU) to call off the over five month old strike
as the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the union
holds a crucial in Minna today (Monday) to rectify the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the federal government.
The meeting which is being hosted by Federal University of
Technology (FUT) Minna branch of the union was in fulfillment of the one week promised by ASUU President, Dr.
Nasir IsaFagge last Wednesday after the signing of the MoU with the federal government that members will meet to decide to call off the strike.
Like the last ASUU NEC meeting in Kano that was shrouded
in high secrecy, the venue of today's meeting is kept to only
members of NEC, as the meeting may not be holding in either
Bosso or Gida Kwano campuses of theUniversity. The agenda of the NEC meeting was also not made public, but a source within the union said that the meeting will among other things consider the MoU, the leadership will present documents to show government'scommitment, assess the impact of the industrial action and map out strategies on how to monitor and ensure implementation of the documented agreement.
A NEC member who spoke with ourcorrespondent in confidence said, "we are here essentially to look into the MoU
as ASUU President promised last Wednesday that members
will review the development and decide to call off the strike.
The meeting will also fashion out strategies for monitoring the
implementation of the MoU".
Asked if the meeting will be calling off the strike, our source
said, "I may not be able to answer that but my thinking which
is personal is that, if our leaders could sign the MoU with
government last week, I think we are close to atruce".
ASUU President had on Wednesday also gave hint of possible
cessation of the action. According to Fagge after signing the
MoU,"Within one week our members will meet and decide to
call off the strike. We have a document here which shows that
government is committed and all the things we demanded are
in the letter."
We will now take this document to our members and we are
confident that our members will do the appropriate thing".
Efforts to reach ASUU President and the FUT Minna branch
chairperson, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh failed. None of them could
be reached for comment, but as at the time of filling the report
yesterday about 30 members of the NEC were already in Minna for the meeting.
Federal government on Wednesday shifted from its hardline
to sign an MoU at a meeting brokered by Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC) to implement decision reached with
President Goodluck Jonathan during the historic 15 hour meeting with the union leaders.
Lecturers in all publicly owned universities embarked on an
indefinite strike on the 2nd of July, following the refusal of
federal government to fulfill the 2009 agreement it had with
the union and non-implementation of 2012 Mou.
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