ASUU to call off strike next week

 

ASUU president, Fagge

Respite has come for students in federal universities as the Academic Staff Union of University has given indication that it would suspend its five-month ongoing strike by next week.

The parties had on Wednesday, signed a document to seal an agreement, giving the hope that the strike may be called off within one week .

Although the President of ASUU, Professor Nasir Faggae, declined comments on what was contained in the document, our correspondent gathered that it was about a review of the 2009 agreement.

In the agreement were the upward review of the retirement age for professors from 65 to 70; adequate funding to revitalise the university system; progressive increase of budgetary allocations to the education sector by 26 per cent.

Other aspects of the agreement include transfer of Federal Government property to universities; setting up of research and development units by companies; payment of earned allowances; and renegotiation of the signed agreement were also included in the agreement.

The new agreement between the two was reached barely 24 hours after the Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, presented a proof of payment of N200 billion into an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

However, Chairman of ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife branch, Prof. Akinola Adegbola, told our correspondent that the union had no reason not to suspend the strike.

He said documentation and commitment were the agitations of the union leaders in its last national executive meeting and those have been met by FG.