From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

Indications have emerged that the industrial action embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the last three months may be called off soon. This revelation emerged after a 13-hours marathon meeting among President Goodluck Jonathan, the ASUU leadership and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The meeting commenced at 2.30p.m. on Monday and ended at 3.30 a.m. yesterday.

Exchanging pleasantries with the labour leaders before the commencement of the meeting, President Jonathan told ASUU President: “My President, all the problems will be over today. Our children must go back to school.” He also told the NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar: “My President, with you here, we are covered. It is signed, sealed, and delivered.”

The meeting was also attended by ASUU Deputy President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, three past presidents of the union, Professors. Festus Iyayi, Dipo Fashina and Abdullahi Sule-Kano. Prof. Suleiman Abdul; Dr. Victor Igbum; Prof. Victor Osodeke, and other notable members of ASUU were also at the meeting.

The delegation of labour comprised the Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Bobbo Kaigama, 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.

-Punch

Posted by admin on Nov 5 2013. Filed under Education, Latest Politics, National Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry