From Magnus Eze, Abuja
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called off its five week-old strike.
Suspension of the strike is only for six weeks and has advised members to return to the classes with effect from today.
ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who addressed newsmen after signing a renegotiated agreement with the Federal Government at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, tagged “Memorandum of Action,” yesterday, expressed hope that government would implement it religiously. He warned that the union should not be blamed if government failed to implement all aspects of the agreement by the end of October this year.
He expressed gratitude to government for the painstaking negotiations that spanned about one month.
ASUU commended Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who, he said, broke a record as “the first public officer to have ever openly voiced out that something went wrong on this matter.”
Ogunyemi averred that the union would not rest on its oars until the nation’s education, especially the university system, is transformed.
Labour Minister, Senator Chris Ngige said the parties agreed on many issues, including funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned allowances, running of university staff schools and exemption of universities in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) regarding grants, endowment funds and some others.
He also praised ASUU for its patriotism, “not just seeking their own welfare but decent work environment for optimal performance.” Ngige assured that the present administration was a government change, hence it will comply with the agreement. Before the meeting went into closed door, he had disclosed that they met weekend for about eight hours and agreed on most of the issues.
