…we ‘ll sign documents tomorrow -Prof.
Osodeke

…says struggle was to make Universities
stronger.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila last night said that in a matter of days the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU will call off the 7-month-old strike that had kept the citadel of learning under lock and keys.

Rising from a meeting with the ASUU leadership led by its President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke called at the instance of the lawmakers, the speaker said that the deal had been sealed.

It will be recalled that the leadership of the House led by Gbajabiamila had in the last 4 weeks held 4 different meetings with the academic body to resolve the lingering, knotty issues with the government.

Last week, the Speaker led a delegation of lawmakers to the Presidential Villa where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari to submit the report of the meeting with ASUU.

Gbajabiamila said President Muhammadu Buhari would make a declaration on the “No Work No Pay” issue, which is a significant area of contention, on Tuesday, October 11.

He said that both the government and ASUU had agreed to shift grounds on their respective positions in overall interests of the students and the country at large.

The meeting witnessed a closed-door session.

He said, “This is a recap to seal the deal on what has been a long fought, long hard road for everybody both for ASUU, the students and the government. As you would recall, some weeks ago the House got involved in this crisis and we had long, tough, intense meetings with ASUU. We had meetings with those on the government side and we are happy to report that as the result of the consultation and intervention of the House, very significant progress has been made and we are more or less at the of the road. Save for dotting some “I”s and crossing some “T”s.

“We agreed with ASUU and the government on certain things which we took to Mr President. I have visited the president twice. The first time we made our recommendations with the government shifting some and ASUU shifting some. We spoke with Mr President. There was one sticking issue which was the issue of no work no pay. And the President did ask that he would suggest the recommendations and would have one more meeting which we did on Friday after the budget.

“That meeting was even better than the first one we had with him, and Mr President had agreed to settle things. I am not going to talk about that now, and he would disclose whatever it is tomorrow, Tuesday which is tomorrow. On that one remaining issue.

“But beyond that, the other several issues have been taken care of. We were able to make sure that what ASUU was asking for in terms of revitalization, and salary, that there has been significant improvement, and revitalization has been provided for in the budget. We made sure of that. The salary structure has been looked at and there has been improved as well, and we made sure of that. As you heard Mr President say during his budget presentation. He appealed to ASUU to go back to class and that N470 billion total has been included in the budget.

“The issue of UTAS which was another important issue both ASUU and the office of the Accountant General and the government have agreed that they will work together and the peculiarities of UTAS that are required for the payment platform IPPIS, they would sit down together and the chairman Committee on Tertiary Education would also be part of that tripartite sit-down arrangement to include all those things that are required by ASUU in the IPPIS platform.

“I believe we have covered ground, covered most of the thorny issues and it is basically, what we have agreed with ASUU is basically to put everything on paper and sign off I believe if we had met yesterday and the papers had been drawn up, ASUU, I am sure would have called off the strike today. But we only just met behind closed doors now and so we have to draw up the agreement as I have stated to you, and hopefully in the next couple of days, of course, ASUU has to get back to its bases as well, once that is agreed, I am very hopeful and very excited about the possibility or probability the strike would be called of in a manner of days.

“I want to thank the union for having come this far and having reported at every moment that we have called them. Even though today’s meeting was called just today and at such short notice, you were here and we met in my office and I believe we have concluded positively. We did this for the sake of our students and children and I hope it would be a thing of the past. I thank you very much, ASUU. I also thank Nigerians for their patience, and the students, having endured these many months. But I believe that this has hopefully come to an end in a matter of days.”

On his own part, the ASUU president, Professor Emma Osodeke said that between now and tomorrow, members of the body will sign various documents to perfect the agreements

He said there was “light at the end of the tunnel”.

He said, “We have met briefly in the Speaker’s office and looked at all the issues. He has briefed us. We have taken note of what they have covered. As you know, in my union, we operate bottom-up. We don’t take decisions on their behalf without having their consent. We have agreed that between now and tomorrow, we are going to get some documents signed that we can take to our members. We will do that as quickly as possible in the interest of all of us, Nigerians and the students so that this thing can be resolved as quickly as possible.

“From what we have seen today, for the first time since this our action started, we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel, because this is the first time we are having such a thing. We hope this time around there will not be any attempt by anybody or any group to create something that will also make us run into anything again. We do hope that this will be the final in the interest of our children.

“Our struggle – thank God the National Assembly is joining us – is for the educational system in Nigeria. We want to have a university in Nigeria where we should be earning money from students all over the world and paying in hard currency as we are paying (overseas) so that our system will grow. That is why we are in this struggle. We want to have a university where the remuneration is enough to attract lecturers from all over the world, just as our people are going outside.

“As we speak today, we are having problems but we have not noticed it. We are creating so many universities but there are no qualified people to teach in those universities because the good ones are leaving. We just put people there, which is not good enough. We must create the environment. We are the Giant of Africa and we must act as the Giant of Africa. We should have people coming in – in droves – not people leaving. That is why we are here

“I want to sincerely thank you for this resilience, your intervention. Please, let all of our work together and let us put a beautiful end to this thing we have started so that every Nigerian will be proud that we have universities we can be proud of. We thank you. We also extend our appreciation to the President for intervening. We do hope that this is the last one.

“I want to appeal that in future, we should not allow strikes to linger. A strike should not go beyond two days. If the way the National Assembly has intervened if we had done that long ago, from the beginning, to be allowed to do that all along, or if those in charge of Labour and Education had done exactly this, we would not be where we are today. We would not have stayed more than two or three weeks in this strike”, Osodeke said.

Vanguard.

Please tell us the deal that was sealed so that we will not hear of another strike in near future and if possible for ever

Awon ashiere

Ngige and the Buhari government failed to understand that even if they force the union to resume work, they cannot force the lecturers to teach the Nigerian students whose future have been jeopardized.

Students can't have an angry lecturers set exams for them abeg ooooo

If Buhari 's government pays them for the months spent gallivanting around doing nothing, I will withdraw my total support for this administration..I would rather support the failed brewery investor with a second class in philosophy than wish for a continuity of this nonsense

Everybody just dey do as dem like for this administration despite the fact that Buhari is so fatherly and understanding.

Some of us have learnt a skill, some have learnt bombing, some are now doing hook-ups. Now, tell me the urge these students will have to sit and read.





The Educational sector of Nigeria is gone!

I really pity for Nigerian students

Why wait for this long, as ASUU chairman stated? Why do the right thing after a very long wasted time

FG rendered ASUU handicapped already,
Xccept u are hatching a plan to disobey dual Court orders....u have zero options other than resuming... regardless of the offer presented to UU, by FG (Buhari, Ngige and Reps speaker)
.

TenQ:

Up ASUU, I only wish NLC can defend their members like this!

Unfortunately, NLC leadership is occupied by wannabe politicians...!
.

udumosam23:


How many institutions have you seen obeying court order in this administration? What has happened after that?

This case can't be settled by court injunctions, it will still end in a round table discussion or woe betide the students that will learn under the ASUU that the court compel to resume without meeting their demands.

Appeal court simply said, Obey before complain
.

zikter:
Oga stop with this nonsense. Are you proud of how our universities are? The very people you are defending have their children in schools abroad. Why are they not in the fantastic schools here? If not that the government is useless, how will you even think of forcing lecturers to class via court rulings instead of ironing out things amicably? ASUU can obey the court judgement but will the teach? Who told you they cannot declare another strike in the next one month after resumption? So how have you solved the issue? What the house of rep did is what Ngige and Adamu should have done since instead of grandstanding.

And hope the government will honor it's agreement with ASUU, otherwise we will be back to square one soon

If u check very well....there wasn't any significant changes in the content the Reps speaker presented and what the FG renegotiated, ergo students shouldn't have been kept this Long at home.
We all yearn for the betterment of our citadels of learning...mind UU, I'm not taking sides.

So what about the time lost.. Students should be compensated for this honestly. Both the physical and mental stress can be just be pushed aside in a matter of days

It's 8months, not 7months.....

this doesnt make sense
how can u not work and expect to get paid
they will definitely do it again
this govt never learns

Better, make all this girls go back to school before them collect person husband finish...

Chaaai
Me wey jus start work for lekki side last
Month n never even make money atall, I bin think say we agree say this strike na till after election next year na
How I wan take use this empty head go face the pending exams before that strike start?
How I wan take go face my oga landlord about the 2 years rent wey I never pay?
The only better tin be say I cnt wait to see my 8 serious girlfriends and besties

Hallelujah

No be now we begun dey hear this una nonsense.

In whatever you do, get money and connections (by legal means).

Nigeria Laws na for the poor

Lecturers, about to be the biggest boys in town when FG pays them their 7 month’s salary arrears for doing NOTHING

No be now we begin dey una this una nonsense

OnionBandit:
If Buhari 's government pays them for the months spent gallivanting around doing nothing, I will withdraw my total support for this administration..I would rather support the brewery investor with second class in philosophy than wish for a continuity of this nonsense

keep your retaard attitude away we don't want you. The mission of the said brewery investor is divine, we don't need the support of a half animal half human like you in our mission.
With his second class in philosophy he has achieved more than your great forefathers, forefathers and your father couldn't achieved in their miserable life times

Nonese

Which days ooooh maybe 60 days

Let it be over first
Because na so una talk before now it has lasted for months





Meanwhile. Don't forget to check out my animation story in my profile

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I can tell you free of charge, all of their demands have not been meet. And some still revolves around what they are running from, PROMISE . But guess what, they don't have any other choice than to accept what Buhari offers.

At the end of everything, Students suffer the most with almost nothing to show. Stupid leadership (ASSU and FG).

The fear of the court. Assu have agreed to what they initially rejected. Nigeria my country.... APC dako piiiiiii...

THIS ASUU PEOPLE ARE JUST JOKERS.THEY HAD AMPLE TIME TO LOBY THE GOVERNMENT WHICH I HAVE BEEN TELLING THEM SINCE BUT MESSED IT UP.THE COURT HAVE FINALLY HUMBLED THEM ITS NOW THEY WANT TO LOBY.WHO WILL TAKE THEM SERIOUS NOW.A GBALAJIMA NEGOTIATION IS DIFFERENT FROM A TOP TO BOTTOM NEGOTIATION.THESE ASUU PROFESSORS ARE SO DULL.GUSH.

ministry of education after all to FG be like