AT last the Federal Government and the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities on Wednesday reached a comprise to end the over five month old industrial action that had grounded Nigerian universities.

This was sealed by signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of all contending issues in the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement as midwifed by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala signed on behalf of the Federal Government while ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge signed for ASUU with the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Abdulwaheed Omar as witness.

The MoU was signed in the presence of five Vice Chancellors including that of University of Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Kano as well as the executive secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie and the former executive secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

Details of the MoU were not readily made available to newsmen, however, the ASUU president, Dr Nasir Fagge Isa disclosed that the agreement captured the main areas of the union’s demand including the deposit of N200 billion in a dedicated account in Central Bank of Nigeria, the non-victimisation clause, infrastructural development among others.

An elated supervising minister of education, Barr Nyesom Wike described the occasion as ‘historic’ and the happiest day in his tenure as a supervising minister of education.

According to Wike, all contending issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.

He said: “ But let me say clearly that today is not just historic but one of the happiest days in my life since I became the Supervising Minister of Education.

“As you are all aware, ASUU has been on strike for well over five months on the account of their resolve to bring about a new lease of life to all public universities.

“Following Mr. President’s personal intervention, the marathon meeting he had on 4th November, 2013 with the leadership of ASUU and other union leaders, all residual issues were resolved. Nigerians from all walks of life had expressed optimism that the strike will soon be called off.

“Unfortunately and sadly too, this was not to be due to ASUU insistence that the Federal Government must take further practical steps or show good faith to the implementation of the agreement.

“As a responsible and responsive government have duty to restore normalcy to our university system so that our children can resume school to pursue that educational careers, consequently the Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities were directed by the Pro-Chancellors to immediately reopen the universities for academic activities while the minor discrepancies are being sorted out.

“Today I’m very pleased to announce  that all contending issues between the Federal Government and ASUU have been resolved to satisfaction of the parties.

“Let me emphasize that we recognize and appreciate ASUU’s patriotic role and commitment toward ensuring that our universities are well-funded, resourced and run like their counterparts in the world.

“Thus, we are all partners in progress and there was no victor, no vanquished in the struggle of this nature so, long as our goals remain noble, not accentuated by parochial interest and targeted at moving our nation forward,” he said.

The minister however expressed the government appreciation to all stakeholders that contributed in the resolution of the crises.

ASUU President  assured that National Executive Council of the union would meet within the week to call off the strike, though he said he could not unilaterally do so.

He noted that it was a selfless struggle for the betterment of Nigerian university system, stressing that if all the content of the agreement is religiously implemented, Nigerian universities would begin to generate revenue more than the crude oil.

-Guardian