ASUU may call off strike next week

There were indications on Friday after  a meeting between the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Abuja earlier on Thursday that the   the striking lecturers may call of their strike next week.

The two parties refused to disclose the oucome of the meeting to inquisitive journalists.

ASS leaders said that they had message for their members and that it was not proper to make such a message public.

They said it was their members that would decide what their next step of actions.

But a source said that the meeting went well and that it appeared the lecturers were receptive of the new proposals put on the table by Sambo.

According to the source, the Federal Government has agreed to release fund to revitalise the university system, which is one of the key demands of the lecturers.

The source said that Sambo made a new offer on behalf of the government.

He promised that the  government would  commit N100bn this year and N150bn in 2014 to the university system.

The source, however, said that the ASUU team led by its National President, Dr. Nasir Faggae, promised to get back to the vice-president after its NEC meeting, which is schedule for tomorrow, Saturday. The lecturers are to relay the message back to Sambo through the Supervising minister for Education, Nyesom Wike.

The meeting, which held behind closed doors had in attendance the supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike and the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie.

ASUU was led by its National President, Dr. Nasir Faggae, as well as two former Presidents of ASUU; Dr. Dipo Fasina and Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano.

Others at the meeting were the Vice-Chancellors of Bayero University Kano, Prof. Abdulrasheed Abubakar; Prof. Isaac Adewole of the University of Ibadan; and Prof. Muhammed Hamisu of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.

Wike had assured Nigerians that students would soon return to school as the federal government was ready to shift ground. However, an insider source who does not want his name mentioned said that going by the new offers made by the Federal Government, the strike might be called off within the next two weeks.