The Prof. Ibrahim Gambari-led Federal Government negotiation team in the disputes between the government and the four unions in the nation’s universities has recorded a head start as ASUU and others are set to end the several months strike.
The unions currently on strike are
the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union, and the Association of Academic Technologists.
In the stakeholders negotiation are the Chairman of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and co-chair of NIREC, Rev. Sampson Ayokunle.
Others the Ministers of Labour, Finance, Education, ASUU leaders, and other stakeholders.
Expressing optimism about latest efforts as against past forlorn attempt, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige said, “We had a cordial and fruitful discussion; we looked at the issues dispassionately and reached some agreements to the satisfaction of everybody in attendance.”
According to him, the decisions reached in three-part meeting with university-based unions will “yield fruits next week”.
The minister made this known in a statement on Friday signed by the Head, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Olajide Oshundun.
Persecondnews recalls that the unions had embarked on strike for improved welfare packages, better working conditions and the implementation of various labour agreements signed with the Federal Government between 2009 and 2015.
Ngige said the meeting with ASUU and other stakeholders was shifted from the labour ministry as venue because government involved some key interested parties in a bid to resolve the industrial disputes.
“We discussed. Everybody was happy. We reached some agreements, and we hope that by next week those agreements will start maturing.
“The four unions will also go and brief their members so that they can call off the strike,” the minister said, adding that the issues in the 2009 agreement, such as the renegotiation of the condition of service and the wage review could be concluded next week.
Also speaking, Gambari lamented that the perennial problems in the universities had culminated in the mutilation of the nation’s educational calendar.
He urged ASUU to return to the classrooms while negotiations were ongoing, to avoid violence by students who had begun blocking roads and airports in protest of the prolonged strike.
He assured that the President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to put an end to the negative developments in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
“We need predictable and quality education so that the human capital required to move our country forward will be developed consistently.”
CAN President Ayokunle also appealed to the unions to return to work in the interest of the children and the nation.
On his part, ASUU President, Osodeke, urged the government to give quality attention to education, saying all the problems in the sector could be amicably resolved if the government does the needful soon.
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