ASUU may call off strike, Wednesday

GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo says the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have  reached an agreement on how to resolve quickly the on-going strike.

Oshiomhole spoke in Abuja shortly after a meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU on the more than three months old strike.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that ASUU may call off the strike by Wednesday after presenting the report of its meeting with the FG team to a meeting of its National Executive Meeting (NEC) scheduled for Abuja on Tuesday.

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole (left)

The governor said ASUU would hold its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and announce the suspension of the strike in the shortest possible time.

He said President Umaru Yar’Adua was worried about the delay in the negotiation even when the Federal Government had given all the support required. “Both parties have all agreed that once ASUU suspends the strike, the remaining issues would be resolved in a very short time, possibly in not more  than a week, so that normalcy can return to the university system.

We have had an exhaustive discussions with both the government and ASUU officials and all the key issues have been well taken care of.” He said both parties had reached an understanding that ASUU as a “democratic organisation” would call off the strike any moment after due consultation with its NEC.

The ASUU president, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, said the union had procedures and whatever decision was taken at the meeting would be presented to its NEC  for consideration.

He assured Oshiomole that the union would consider this “within three days”. Awuzie expressed appreciation to Oshiomhole, the Minister of Education and Mr President for their commitment  to quickly resolve the crisis.