ASUU strike: Jonathan, ASUU in 13 hours meeting, body promises to discuss outcome with members
After 13 hours of a marathon meeting that started from 2.30 p.m. on Monday to 3.30 a.m. on Tuesday, the meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in cunjuction with representatives the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), ended with the union promising to go back and discuss the outcome with its members, an indication that an end might be near to the five months strike by the union.
Earlier before the meeting commenced, President Jonathan had while exchanging pleasantries said to the ASUU President, “My President, all the problems will be over today. Our children must go back to school”.
To the NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, he said, “My President, with you here we are covered. It is signed, sealed, and delivered”.
The ASUU leadership while on a break from the meeting had shifted their consultation into the 24-seater Toyota Hiace with plate number BU 190 EPE after which they moved back to the venue of the meeting at the First Lady Conference Room.
Fielding questions from State House correspondent at end of the meeting in the early hours of Tuesday, ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge said they were taking the message from Mr. President to their members, saying they are the ones to make the final decision, expressing hope that the response will be good.
The meeting which had earlier witnessed 30 minutes break by both parties to allow ASUU consult were to come out with a communique going by the observations of our correspondents, with the officials from both end going through it but was later jettisoned probably to allow ASUU speak to its members first before making it public.
The following interaction took place between Fagge and newsmen:
What is the outcome of this meeting?
Well we have had lengthy meeting with Mr. President, robbing minds on how best to address the problem of university education in this country and 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.
No going back to the classroom yet?
That is up to our members.
What is the message you are taking away?
No I can’t tell you is not for you, is for our members.
Were you impressed by the message from Mr. President?
Don’t put words into my mouth please our members will determine that”.
The Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu, also told newsmen that the expectations of Nigerians will be met.
He said, “We made progress, the president of ASUU told you that they are going back with a message from the federal government back to their members. And the message is a message full of high expectations and hope”.
On the likelihood that the strike will be called now, he said, “That is why the message is full of hope and expectations. So our prayers is that they come back and come back with positive outcome, they might not even come back to meet us they might even take decisions there that will meet your expectations”.
Wogu urged Nigerians to patient with ASUU while awaiting the outcome. He said, “Just tell them to be patient with ASUU to finish their meeting and come out with a message to Nigerians”.
On whether the Federal Government made a fresh offer,he said, “Well, the offer we have made for them are the offers they are taking in line with the 2009 agreement. The issues that led to the strike are issues contain in the 2009 agreement and we did not go beyond the agreement”.
Others in attendance were Fagge who led nine members of National leadership including, his deputy, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, three past presidents of the union, Profs. Festus Iyayi, Dipo Fashina and Abdullahi Sule-Kano.
Other members of ASUU Prof. Suleiman Abdul; Dr. Victor Igbum; Prof. Victor Osodeke.
Also on the labour side were delegation included Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Bobbo Kaigama, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdullwaheed Omar, and other key officers from both NLC and TUC.
On the President’s side, were Vice President Namadi Sambo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim; Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadhome, Ministers of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; her counterparts in the Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike; Permanent Secretary FME, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala; Executive Secretary National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie; and Director Tertiary Education (DTE), Dr. Hindatu Abdullahi.