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Jonathan engages ASUU In Marathon Meeting

                            

         President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday engaged leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a day-long meeting where he insisted that federal government and the union must reach a compromise to end the protracted strike which has kept Nigerian students out of school for four months now.

It raised hopes that the meeting which commenced at about 2.45pm at the conference room of the first lady’s wing of the presidential villa will yield fruitful result when the president  stated categorically that “the strike will end today,” while exchanging pleasantries with the ASUU delegation as well as leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Jonathan who entered the venue of the meeting at about 2:47pm told the leaders of ASUU, the NLC and the TUC who were already seated since 2:15pm that every thing about the strike must end yesterday.

To the ASUU President, Nasir Isa Fagge, the president said, “My president, all the  problems will be over today, all our children must go back to school”. And to the NLC president, Abdulwahab Omah, Jonathan said, “My president with you around today, there will be no problem, our agreement is signed sealed and delivered”.

The meeting which lasted for several hours came to a break at about 6:30pm when members of the ASUU delegation stepped out of the venue of the meeting and walked to their vehicle, a white 18 seater Toyota bus.

They hopped into the bus and sat down for about 15 minutes, consulting within themselves before returning to the first lady’s conference room to meet with the federal government delegation led by the president. The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

Other members of the ASUU delegation include president of the Trade Union, Bobboi Kaigama, ASUU deputy president, Biodun Ogunyemi, three former presidents of ASUU, Festus Iyayi, Dipo Fashina and Abdullahi Sule-Kano.

Others are Suleiman Abdul, Victor Igbum,  Victor Osodeke and some members of the NLC.

On the federal government’s side were Vice President Namadi Sambo,  Minister of Labour Emeka Wogu, supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim, executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Julius Okogie; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chief of Staff to the President Mike Oghiadhome, and the permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education Mac John Nwaobiala.

When it appeared as if the negotiation process was not going to make any headway under the leadership of Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam, Vice President Sambo had in September announced that he had taken over negotiations with ASUU but that failed to end the strike.

The meeting between Sambo and the union which lasted for about one and half hours, ASUU President, Fagge had informed Journalists that the federal government has given them a message which they were taking back to the union.

He refused to make known what government may agree to offer the union in addition to the earlier offer of N100 Billion and N30 billion meant for infrastructure development in various universities and payment of verified earned allowances respectively.