The City Reporters
ASUU Chairman Isa Faggae and Nigerian VP Namadi Sambo
Nigerian students and parents waiting for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off their four month old strike or at least reveal the details of their Monday meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan would have to hold their breath till the lecturers unveil what transpired.
Coming out of the meeting which lasted for hours on end and sent students into an unprecedented “tweet frenzy,” the government declined commenting on the consensus reached at the meeting and instead told journalists they have left the lecturers with the unpalatable task of informing Nigerians on the compromise reached (if there was any).
Mr. Jonathan reportedly said the following during the meeting:
Jonathan to NLC President – “My president with you around today, there will be no problem, our agreement ASUU is signed, sealed and delivered.”
Jonathan to ASUU President, Isa Faggae: “President all the problems will be over today , all our children must go back to school.”
The City Reporters gathered the meeting started by 2.00p.m. and was devoid of the official protocols as both ASUU and government officials interacted freely.
FG representatives include President Goodluck Jonathan; Vice President Namadi Sambo; Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu; and minister of state Education who is the supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Julius Okogie; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadhome, and Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mac John Nwaobiala.
The ASUU negotiating team was led by the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwahab Omah; the Trade Union President, Bobboi kaigama; the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Nasir Isa Fagge who led nine members of National leadership including, his deputy,Biodun Ogunyemi, three past presidents of ASUU, Festus Iyayi, Dipo Fashina and Abdullahi Sule-Kano. Other members of ASUU delegation included Suleiman Abdul; Victor Igbum; Victor Osodeke.
On hand in solidarity with ASUU were high level delegations from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by its President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and its Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and the staff their secretariats.
The presidency had in September, taken over negotiations with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as meeting between the Union and Vice-President Namadi Sambo lasted for about one and half hours without disclosure of its outcome.The President of ASUU, Nasiru Fagge had explained that the Government has given them a message which he said he intended to deliver to the union.
He had also declined to disclose the content of the message in respect of what the government may have offered 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.
