ASUU STRIKE: FG, ASUU To Meet Again NextWeek

cademic Staff Union of Universities met
across the country on Thursday to consider
the offer by the Federal Government.
The ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Faggae after a
meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan
which ended in the early hours of Tuesday had
told reporters that the union would take back
an undisclosed message to their members.
The PUNCH gathered that the striking public
universities lecturers met in the nine zones of
ASUU with branch chairmen to discuss the
outcome of the meeting with the President.
The meetings presided over by zonal
coordinators afforded them (zonal
coordinators) the opportunity to brief the
branch chairmen about the offer made by the
Federal Government to revamp the public
universities across the country.
The Federal Government had at the last
Tuesday marathon meeting agreed to inject
N1.1tn into the universities over the next five
years. The money, the Federal Government
promised, would be released at the rate of
N220bn annually starting from 2014.
The Ibadan zone of ASUU held its meeting at
the Federal University Abeokuta on Thursday
while that of the North Central Zone took
place at the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi
State.
Sources at both meetings said that though the
union officials were not happy that the
N400bn per year they asked for was not
granted, they were however happy at the
sincerity of purpose displayed by President
Jonathan.
Though they expressed varied opinion about
the offer, they were unanimous in commending
Jonathan for being the first Nigerian leader to
meet with the union.
When contacted, the Coordinator of the North
Central Zone, Dr. Suleiman Mohammad
declined comments on the meeting.
Mohammed, who said he was attending to
some pressing issues, said only the ASUU
President could speak on the issue.
But feelers across the zones, however,
suggested that the lecturers might have
accepted the offer of the government.
Although branch chairmen still have to call
congresses, it was gathered that the union
may have made up its mind to call off the
strike after meeting with the Federal
Government again next week.
A top official of the union said "We are happy
with the humility shown by Jonathan to
personally meet with us. This is the first time
a sitting President will meet with the union to
thrash out issues. Members were impressed
with him and the strong commitment that he
displayed. But some expressed fear that the
new deal could go the way of past agreements
that were not