In a non-traditional trade dispute between
the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) and the federal government, the
association had a secret National Executive
Council (NEC ) meeting in an undisclosed
venue in Kano, but refused to reveal the
decision taken till after meeting with
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
A source close to ASUU revealed that the
position of ASUU is 60-40 as at the time
they held their NEC meeting. Sixty percent
wanted the strike to be called off and 40
percent of them wanted the strike to
continue.
Another source close to the association
revealed that they were caught between
the mourning of their former President,
Professor Festus Iyayi and a need to put a
halt to the strike action.
The meeting was behind closed doors and
some members of the association were not
even aware of the meeting on the grounds
that they were not part of the leadership.
This was unlike in the past, where all
members were privy of such meetings.
They were said to be conveyed in two
coaster buses and sneaked out of the
university and met at another unscheduled
location, Mambayya House, a research
centre belonging to the university.
The source further added that ASUU
decided to take their decision to President
Jonathan before making it public. An action
they decided on as a show of respect to
the President for his willingness to see to
the end of the crisis engulfing the ivory
towers of knowledge for months.
Notice was not given by the association
before holding the meeting unlike before.
Neither did journalists invited for press
briefing after the meeting. It was not held
at the ASUU Secretariat of Bayero
University, Kano. THISDAY also recalled that
the NEC meeting was billed to hold last
weeks but was scuttled with the sudden
death of the former ASUU President,
Professor Festus Iyayi.
The death that is still making different
people to think differently about it. A
repeat of Iyayi’s untimely death was
alleged to be avoided by the association. Source: www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ASUU-meets-in-kano-to-confer-with-jonathan-later/165088/