After 13-hour parley with Jonathan, time for ASUU to decide

[Mirror]

For about 13 hours, President Goodluck Jonathan and leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, locked themselves in the conference room of the First Lady at the Presidential Villa to proffer solution to the over four-month-old strike by lecturers in the country.

The duration of the meeting is considered to be the longest in recent times with the striking lecturers, the meeting started at 2.40p.m. and stretched until 3.30a.m. the following morning with just about 15 minutes break.

It was the first time Jonathan would personally lead negotiations with the striking lecturers since July 1 when they withdrew their services and brought academic activities at the nation's federal universities to a grinding halt. Vice-President Namadi Sambo and Governor Gabriel Suswam had led previous negotiations with ASUU before Jonathan took over.

To demonstrate that they mean business and ready to pour out all their grievances, the ASUU leaders refused to touch the snacks, soft drinks and water served shortly before the commencement of the meeting.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, noticed that the lecturers did not touch their snacks and drinks at the opposite end of the table and asked the ASUU President why he and his colleagues were not eating, a question to which Faggae replied: "We are saving money for you to implement our agreement."

During the 13-hour meeting, State House Correspondents were in the late night cold outside the venue of the meeting, keeping vigil and waiting for the decision by both parties, some of them sat on the tiled floor which was marked out to serve as a mosque where muslim faithful pray.

But even at the end of the night-long meeting, the lecturers were not forthcoming on whether they are willing to call off the strike or not as Fagge said they were able to secure a message from the President which would be taken to their members. "We have had lengthy meeting with Mr. President, rubbing minds on how best to address the problem of university education in this country.

"We now have a message from Mr. President that we are going to take to our members and we are expecting that our members will respond appropriately to the message of Mr. President," Faggae said. When asked to disclose the President's message that would be delivered to the members of the union, Faggae said, "I cannot tell you, it's not for you, it is for our members."

Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu, said that the meeting recorded meaningful progress in the negotiations with ASUU and expressed hope that the striking lecturers would call off the over four-monthold strike.

The ASUU President led members of the national leadership of the academic union to the meeting including his deputy, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi and three past presidents, Prof. Festus Iyayi, Prof. Dipo Fashina and Prof. Abdullahi Sule-Kano. Other members of ASUU delegation include Prof. Suleiman Abdul, Prof. Victor Osodeke and Dr. Victor Igbum.

President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Abulwaheed Omar and leader of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama as well as staff and other members of the congress were also at the meeting.

On the side of government at the meeting were Sambo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadhomhe; Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, her labour and education counterparts, Wogu and Wike. Also at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Mac John Nwaobiala; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie and Director, Tertiary Education in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Hindatu Abdullahi.

[Nifemi Donald]

It's just so fustrating for the students to hear about meeting upon mettings and yet no positive result to show for it