Emmanuel Edukugho & Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri, Taye Obateru & Adedoyin Ojosipe, Jos
Following the National Executive Council (NEC) of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspension of its indefinite strike action embarked upon by the Union since June 22, 2009, Labour has commended the Federal Government and ASUU members on the negotiations that led to the suspension of the almost four month old strike in the nation’s universities.

Oshiomhole stops perm secs moves against ASUU
Meanwhile, Saturday Vanguard can reveal that some permanent secretaries planned to frustrate ASUU in its strike but for the timely intervention of  Governor Adams Oshiomhole committee which eventually succeeded in brokering peace between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that a clique of bureaucrats which had vowed to “cut ASUU to size” would have attempted to scuttle Oshiomhole’s efforts the way it frustrated previous moves but for the fate that got them out of the way before the former labour leader’s intervention.

It was learnt that a “super permanent secretary” famed for being very close to the presidency had teamed up with some other permanent secretaries and directors in the federal civil service to frustrate every effort to resolve the impasse.

The group said to have the ‘ear’ of  the presidency reportedly encouraged the hard line positions of government such as the resort to the Industrial Arbitration Panel and the insistence that lecturers should go and negotiate with their governing councils.

It was alleged that the clique so misinformed the presidency that “at a point, government believed that ASUU was being used by its enemies to try and destabilize the administration”, a source said.

President Umar Ya’Adua was said to have been surprised when Governor Oshiomhole offered to intervene to resolve the impasse and conveyed the readiness of  ASUU for dialogue because according to the source, he had been made to believe that ASUU was not ready for dialogue.

Key members of the alleged clique were said to have been swept off by the recent reform in the civil service which prescribed tenure for top civil servants thus breaking their stranglehold on the ASUU-FG face off.

Their power and influence was said to have worked against them when they tried to orchestrate the new policy as a sectional agenda an action which was said to have irked the presidency which ordered them to proceed on immediate pre-retirement leave instead of next year initially specified.

The labour leaders gave the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the suspension of the ASUU’s strike for two weeks.

Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, ASUU President, had at a news conference yesterday, after receiving inputs from the union local branches on the issue, announced the suspension of the strike.

Mr Sylvester Ejiofor, the General Secretary of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), said ASUU’s decision to suspend the strike was laudable.

According to him, ASUU has demonstrated good quality of industrial relationship on the issue.
In her comment, Mrs Peace Obiajulu, former President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), urged both parties to use the two weeks to reach final agreement that would end the crisis in the nation’s universities.

Obiajulu also commended Gov. Adams Oshiomole of Edo for his intervention in the ASUU and Federal Government face off, urging the government to keep to its promise to engage the striking unions in serious negotiations to avoid another strike.

Mr Michael Olukoya, the NLC Chairman in Lagos State, said the suspension of the strike by ASUU was a demonstration of maturity, patriotism and understanding.

He urged both parties to reach an agreement that would also be implemented at both the federal and state levels to avoid a recurrence of the crisis.

Mr Fidelis Edeh, former President, Nigeria Civil Service Union, said the two weeks suspension was a period of waiting game, urging government to show good faith and resolve the matter.

ASUUembarked on strike on June 22, protesting against decayed infrastructure in the education system, demanding academic autonomy and improvement in its members’ salary.

Addressing newsmen in Owerri, the President of ASUU, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, said the truce is for just two weeks, with effect from Friday, October 9, 2009.

“In deference to Mr. President’s intervention, the Union resolved to suspend the strike for two weeks with effect from Friday, October 09, 2009, to enable a cordial atmosphere for the peaceful conclusion of negotiation to ensue”, Awuzie said.

According to the ASUU boss, “the Union expects that this gesture would accelerate the process of returning the Nigerian University System to normal academic activities and calendar.”

Continuing, Professor Awuzie called on government to “as a matter of urgency, conclude agreements with other Unions in the University System, so that our universities would be returned to proper functioning.

“Government must avoid any action and situation that are capable of destroying the existing harmony among unions on the campuses”, Professor Awuzie warned.

Answering a question, ASUU President said government asked for only one week within which to commence and complete the dialogue but ASUU gave them two weeks instead.

“We assure our students and the Nigerian people that the struggle for the education system will continue, collectively with patriotic forces, until we achieve the desired goal, a country of educated citizens struggling to overcome economic and political backwardness and striving to survive in the 21st Century”, the ASUU boss said.

He also reminded government that the truce called by ASUU does not mean that they have abandoned the trenches, adding that there must be a minimum standard of funding for the university system to survive.

“Again, no university can develop without capital grants. If government cannot fund the university system to enable it compete favourably with their counterparts in any part of the world, it should be bold enough to close them permanently”, Awuzie said.