With just one day of its
week-long strike, the
Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) reached
an agreement with the Federal
Government yesterday to
suspend the industrial action,
which grounded activities on
campuses.
Speaking on the development
in Abuja yesterday, Minister
of Labour and Productivity,
Chief Emeka Wogu disclosed
that the government had
reached an agreement with
ASUU to suspend the strike.
Wogu told State House
Correspondents at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja that
what was most important was
the state of the nation.
He asked: “Are we going to be
able to take the challenges
that will come with shutting
the universities? The answer is
‘no’ and they (ASUU) believe
that we should not go to that
extent. Because when you go to
that extent; that means that you
will drive people home, the
students will now go into the
streets and we are complaining
that most of our students are
being involved in some
unwholesome activities. So they
promised that they will
quickly look into it, and urged
government to equally keep
terms with the agreement”.
The minister said the meeting
agreed “that the
implementation committee that
has been in place since 2009
should be expanded to include
the Minister of Finance or the
representative of the Finance
Minister, who is equally the
coordinating minister of the
economy. It will include the
Minister of Labour and
Productivity and the Budget
Office.
“The committee will look at
the issues contained in that
2009 agreement and the issues
that have militated against the
implementation of that
agreement and come up with a
position that will indicate the
challenges of government or
indicate the challenges being
faced by ASUU.
“By the time we come up with
it, we will be able to
harmonize these issues and be
able to come up with a proper
position and brief Mr.
President on this and we
believe that if Mr. President
is fully briefed, he will
understand the issues at stake.
The issues that were put out at
the public domain, was that of
implementation of 70 years of
age but it is more than that”,
Wogu stated. He, however,
refused to mention other issues.
“People should not panic
because government has
appealed to ASUU to suspend
the strike because at this stage,
the government has done a lot
to make sure that we do not
get to that stage. I believe that
ASUU will listen to the pleas
of government. It is plea that
is coming from a party to the
agreement and they also have
made their own pleas. So it is a
consolidation of pleas”.
He disclosed that both parties
agreed that it will not be in
the interest of the nation for
the nation to witness another
round of closure of the
universities at this time in her
academic history.
But the one-week warning
strike, which began yesterday,
crippled academic activities at
both federal and state
universities.
The National Executive
Council (NEC) of ASUU,
after its meeting at the
University of Ibadan (UI),
directed its members to down
tool starting from yesterday,
following the failure of the
Federal Government to meet
their demands.
Visits to the University of
Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos
State University (LASU)
revealed that ASUU members
complied with the directive as
they stayed away from work.
The lecture halls were empty
while some academic staff
stayed away from their
offices with only the non-
academic on duty.
ASUU’s demands include
upward review of retirement
age for Professors from 65 to
70, adequate funding to
revitalize the university system
from 2009 to 2011,
progressive increase of
budgetary allocations to
education by 26 per cent,
transfer of Federal
Government property to
universities, setting up of
research and development units
by companies, payment of
earned allowances and
renegotiation of the signed
agreement.e issues that were put out at
the public domain, was that of
implementation of 70 years of
age but it is more than that”,
Wogu stated. He, however,
refused to mention other issues.
“People should not panic
because government has
appealed to ASUU to suspend
the strike because at this stage,
the government has done a lot
to make sure that we do not
get to that stage. I believe that
ASUU will listen to the pleas
of government. It is plea that
is coming from a party to the
agreement and they also have
made their own pleas. So it is a
consolidation of pleas”.
He disclosed that both parties
agreed that it will not be in
the interest of the nation for
the nation to witness another
round of closure of the
universities at this time in her
academic history.
But the one-week warning
strike, which began yesterday,
crippled academic activities at
both federal and state
universities.
The National Executive
Council (NEC) of ASUU,
after its meeting at the
University of Ibadan (UI),
directed its members to down
tool starting from yesterday,
following the failure of the
Federal Government to meet
their demands.
Visits to the University of
Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos
State University (LASU)
revealed that ASUU members
complied with the directive as
they stayed away from work.
The lecture halls were empty
while some academic staff
stayed away from their
offices with only the non-
academic on duty.
ASUU’s demands include
upward review of retirement
age for Professors from 65 to
70, adequate funding to
revitalize the university system
from 2009 to 2011,
progressive increase of
budgetary allocations to
education by 26 per cent,
transfer of Federal
Government property to
universities, setting up of
research and development units
by companies, payment of
earned allowances and
renegotiation of the signed
agreement.

Please how geniue is this story,because i v packed up my bag heading home on thursday,