Dan Atori, Minna
After its almost six months action, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday afternoon called off its strike.
This followed exhaustive deliberations that started on Monday and lasted till the early hours of Tuesday amidst anxiety.
President of the Union, Dr. Nasir Isah Fagge, told journalists at the press briefing which held at the Science Complex building of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Bosso Campus, Minna, Niger State that it accepted the resolutions signed between ASUU and the Federal Government on December 11, 2013 with the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Said Fagge: “Finally, NEC resolved to suspend the strike embarked upon on 1st July 2013, with effect from Tuesday December 17th, 2013 and directs its branches to resume work forthwith”.
Fagge, however, condemned some University Vice Chancellors who tried to sabotage the efforts of the Union.
He said: “We condemn, without any reservation, Vice Chancellors who made efforts to undermine and, in some cases, attempted to break the ASUU strike”.
The Union President said as part of its expectation, the National Executive Committee (NEC) expects the government to implement fully the resolutions reached and signed with the Union.
“First, we expect that implementation monitoring committee, which has already been constituted to the satisfaction of government and ASUU, will work assiduously so that the process of revitalisation of Nigerian Universities will receive a much-needed boost, and our students and their parents will begin to see the fruits of the ASUU struggles.
“Our members expect the immediate beginning of the revitalisation process, given, the letter FME/PS/398/C.I/Vol 1.1/110, of 12th December 2013, titled ‘Opening of a Dedicated Account for the Revitalisation of Nigerian Universities”.
He further stated that “ASUU would have proffered to undertake the re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement in the 2nd quarter of 2014, our Union was persuaded to shift the date to the 3rd quarter, and we agreed as a gesture of goodwill”
“It is our hope that government will honour these Resolutions as signed. ASUU hopes that the common position between government and ASUU that “nobody shall be victimised in any way whatsoever for his or her role in the process leading to these resolutions and agreements,” will be implemented.
The NEC, led by the President, Fagge walked into the complex at exactly 10:25am but he briefed the media at exactly 11:10am.
Earlier, the President of ASUU apologised to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), especially the journalists that were assaulted by some of its members on Monday at the FUT Permanent Campus, Minna.
Said Fagge: “I apologise to you for what transpired yesterday. It is not in our habit to chase away the press. We felt mosquitoes were biting you guys and you were outside in the cold.
“Please whatever transpired between you (media) and ASUU was not in our nature. On behalf of the NEC and the whole ASUU, I tender an unreserved apology.”
Furthermore, Fagge assured that ASUU will make up for the lost term which has affected the admittance of students into Universities. “The five months sacrifice is worth it, we will engage ourselves in producing quality students through research programmes in various institutions,” he added.
