The ASUU strike 2013 continues, but the latest update appears to show hope for an end to the strike.



Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan will meet with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities at the Presidential Villa, reported Scan News.
The Monday, November 4 meeting is the first time the president and the union’s leadership will meet.

An unnamed official with the vice president’s office said that all hands are now on deck to aim for ending the strike next week.

Vice President Namadi Sambo and a top education official made progress when they spoke with the ASUU leadership, but the involvement of the president is to show the union “that there is the commitment of the federal government at the highest level,” the report said.




And if the union doesn’t call off the strike following the meeting, then the government will turn to a plan B–opening the universities without the union, using governing councils and school management.

“Most of the governing councils of the universities have started meeting to work out modalities for the compulsory re-opening of the universities should ASUU fail to honor the personal request of President Jonathan,” Scan News reported.

The move is easily the most definitive in the prolonged strike, which began on July 1.

The leaders of the union say the strike is because the government has failed to meet demands outlined in an agreement between the union and the government made in 2009.







However, senators recently expressed shock over the union’s demands, claiming that they are far too much. 

The lecturers are asking for, among other things: maternity leave, housing loan, sick leave, injury pension, vehicle loan/car refurbishing loan, postgraduate supervision allowance, teaching practice/industrial supervision/ field trip allowances and honoraria for external moderation of undergraduate and postgraduate examinations.

Senate President David Mark said that the union members were unfair to Nigeria and a bunch of ignorant persons.

“It only shows the level of people the executive sent to go and negotiate on its behalf because people must be told the truth, what can be accomplished and what cannot be accomplished… ASUU took advantage of the ignorance of those who were sent and simply just allowed this agreement to go on because it is obvious that this is going to be a very difficult piece of paper to implement.”

Oga Jona am fully in support of wot eva ur plans are cos I know u hv the best of interest of our Nigerian schools