Details of the Monday/ Tuesday marathon meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities have begun to emerge.
NE gathered on Tuesday evening that a key component of the agreement reached by the parties was that the Federal Government would inject N1.1tn into public universities in the next five years.
A reliable source, who made this known, also hinted that the strike would be called off anytime next week.
He said the government team which was led by President Goodluck Jonathan would release N220bn yearly into the sector beginning from 2014.
The source added, “The meeting should be the longest that we have ever had on this crisis but I can tell you that both parties were frank all through the discussions.
“The parties also showed commitment towards ending the crisis. The President in particular showed that he was serious about ending the strike and that was why he offered to release over N1tn to the universities in the next five years.
“The money will be released on a yearly basis at N220bn per annum beginning from 2014. For the outgoing year, the government will only release N100bn and this has been processed.”
He said that the government, in order to show its commitment to a fresh pact, accepted that “the fund(N1.1tn) should domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria”
“The money will be released on a quarterly basis to the universities. So, there won’t be any problem about funding the deal,” the source said.
The National Universities Commission and the Trade Union Congress, according to him, will be the joint guarantors of the agreement while the Minister of Education will be the implementation officer.
The source also said that the government agreed among other things, to revamp the public universities by ensuring that all those issues that always led to strike were dealt with once and for all.
It was learnt that the negotiating team of ASUU led by Dr. Nassir Faggae met on Tuesday night to further deliberate on the deal.
Though the details of the meeting were not known as of 11.22pm on Tuesday, it was gathered that ASUU might call a National Executive Council meeting on or before Saturday where the deal would be tabled before all its branch executives.
Jonathan had while shaking hands with Fagge after the marathon meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja said, “My President, I hope it (strike) will end today(Tuesday). Our children have suffered enough. We must find a solution.”
All those in attendance responded with a loud “Amen.”
When greeting Omar, he said, “My President with you around, there will be no problem; our agreement is signed, sealed and delivered.”.
Faggae told State House correspondent on his way out of the Villa, that his team would take back a message to varsity teachers before a decision would be taken on the next line of action.
“We had a lengthy meeting with Mr. President, and we looked into how best to address the problem of university education in this country. We now have a message from Mr. President that we are going to take to our members and we are expecting that our members will respond appropriately to his message,” he said.
Fagge added that since the message was meant for members, he would not divulge it to the press.
When asked whether university teachers would be called upon to return to the classrooms, he said that the decision was left for them to take.
When further asked if he was impressed by the President’s message, Faggae cautioned journalists against putting words in his mouth, insisting that only ASUU members would determine that.
The Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, who listened to Faggae’s encounter with journalists, later said progress was made during the discussion.
He said, “We made progress. The President of ASUU told you that they are going back with a message from the Federal Government back to their members and the message is full of high expectation and hope.”
When asked whether ASUU would call off the strike, Wogu said that was why he described the message as full of expectation.
“Our prayer is that they will come back with positive outcome. They might even not come back to meet us. They might take decision there that will meet your expectations “ he said. He added that the offers made by the government during the meeting were those that were in line with the contentious
2009 agreement.
He said since the issues that led to the strike bordered on the 2009 agreement, the government did not go beyond the pact.
The President was joined at the meeting that started at 2.40pm on Monday by Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike; Wogu among others.
http://www.nigerianeye.com/2013/11/ASUU-strike-to-be-called-off-as.html?m=1

Thank you Jesus

Better, na 4 ASUU to collect, make we match on

Ok

This strike is long overdue, ASUU shld do d necessary as soon as possible. GEJ's gvt has already shown enuf sincerity.

now dis is gud news..........when re they calling off

Sometimes the headlines I see on Nairaland infuriates me.

FG is not handing over any money to ASUU. ASUU does not receive money from the FG. Any increased funding is disbursed to the Universities where it is administered by the VC, the Bursar and the Senate (University Governing council).

It is headlines like these that enable all the half-witted undergraduates on Nairaland to make inane posts like "ASUU r greedy. LOL"

So in 5 yrs tym if bros jona no enta office 2015 na dis same issue of "it is the last govt agreement" go escalate again abi? God help us oo.

I pray dis strike should be called off as d anonymous (who knows weda na human being sef?) Persin has said

YEYE ASUU

Codedrock: YEYE ASUU

They just secured at least 220bn per annum investment to capital projects in the Universities in Nigeria, and conditions of services for lecturers just improved, allowing the Universities to be better placed to attract more young, brilliant talent. Show some respect and appreciation you m0r0n.

Let the Progress that you made show oo

Buchiano(m):
This strike is long overdue, ASUU shld do d necessary as soon as possible. GEJ's gvt has already shown enuf sincerity.

When you say the "strike is long overdue", you are saying it should have happened much earlier than it did, say, last year. I bet that is not the message you intended to pass. English nor be by force bros.

texazzpete:

They just secured at least 220bn per annum investment to capital projects in the Universities in Nigeria, and conditions of services for lecturers just improved, allowing the Universities to be better placed to attract more young, brilliant talent. Show some respect and appreciation you m0r0n.

FOOL....
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT DEAL LAID DOWN BY THEM WILL BE EASY FOR THE GOVERMENT FINANCIALLY TO GO WITH? THEY KNOW GOVERNMENT CANT REALLY GO WITH THAT. ALL THEY ARE DOING IS TO SPOIL JONATHAN's POLITICAL AMBITION.
I DO BELIEVE THEY HAVE PEOPLE SPONSORING THEM ON THIS. JUST LIKE THE BOKOHARAM!
YOU ARE JUST AN IGNORANT NIGERIAN. YOU KNOW NOTHING!

All I want to hear is "ASUU strike have been called off" shikenah!

texazzpete: Sometimes the headlines I see on Nairaland infuriates me.

FG is not handing over any money to ASUU. ASUU does not receive money from the FG. Any increased funding is disbursed to the Universities where it is administered by the VC, the Bursar and the Senate (University Governing council).

It is headlines like these that enable all the half-witted undergraduates on Nairaland to make inane posts like "ASUU r greedy. LOL"

you are really dumb! Very nut! Are the VC's and members of university governing council not members of ASUU? Mumu!

Sermwell: you are really dumb! Very nut! Are the VC's and members of university governing council not members of ASUU? Mumu!

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!

ASUU = Academic Staff Union of Universities.

VC is NOT an Academic Staff.

So, how the heck can the VC be a member of ASUU?

You see why ASUU had to go on strike to save you from your imbecility? ASUU has kept you home for months now and still you don't know what that name 'ASUU' stands for.

People like you should be flogged senseless!

Codedrock:
FOOL....
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT DEAL LAID DOWN BY THEM WILL BE EASY FOR THE GOVERMENT FINANCIALLY TO GO WITH? THEY KNOW GOVERNMENT CANT REALLY GO WITH THAT. ALL THEY ARE DOING IS TO SPOIL JONATHAN's POLITICAL AMBITION.
I DO BELIEVE THEY HAVE PEOPLE SPONSORING THEM ON THIS. JUST LIKE THE BOKOHARAM!
YOU ARE JUST AN IGNORANT NIGERIAN. YOU KNOW NOTHING!

I know the FG can easily afford 220bn yearly. Heck, partial removal of subsidy has saved the nation hundreds of billions of naira yearly.

I also know you've got the IQ of a rock. They are asking for the implementation of an agreement GEJ was privy to in 2009.

Perhaps you think APC invented time travel, went back in time and forced GEJ and the FG negotiation team to agree 'unimplementable' terms?