ASUU STRIKE WILL BE CALLED OFF SOON - NUC SECRETARY

Prof. Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of the National Universities
Commission (NUC) says he is confident that the protracted strike by
the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will soon be called
off.Okojie, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at a media parley with journalists, said the commission was doing everything within its powers to ensure a speedy resolution of the issues raised by ASUU so that students could return school.
"We are part of the system and we understand the issues, we are
meeting with members of the union all the time and...
the issues are
being tackled.
"So, we are optimistic the strike will soon be called off and our
children can go back to school in the shortest possible time.''
He also reacted to the call by ASUU for NUC to be scrapped, saying
"the call is not in good faith as the commission has not gone to sleep
over its duties".
Also speaking on the recurrent disagreements between the commission
and some professional bodies over accreditation and running of certain
courses by some universities,
Okojie acknowledged that there were issues that needed to be resolved
between both parties.
"There is no country in the world where regulatory bodies and
professional bodies go to regulate at the same time.
"So, it is true we are having problems with professional bodies in
carrying out our mandate, but the issues too will soon be resolved and
we can move on.
The executive secretary, who said that the commission had closed many
faculties not fit to run courses in certain universities, admitted
that; "it is not easy to be a regulator''.
According to him, the commission was "silently regulating the system''
having to also pay professional fees and encourage professors to do
accreditation.