ASUU/NEC MEETING TO HOLD ON FRIDAY FOR CALL-OFF

SOURCE: DAILY INDEPANDENT

FRANKLIN - The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may
hold its postponed National Executive Council (NEC)
meeting on Friday to decide whether or not to...
suspend
the indefinite strike it began since July 2.
A top official of ASUU, who preferred anonymity,
disclosed this toDaily Independentin a telephone
interview on Sunday.
He was, however, not certain if the NEC will still be
held at the Bayero University , Kano, BUK where it was
initially proposed to hold.
The leadership of the union postponed the scheduled
Kano NEC meeting following the demise of one its key
members, Festus Iyayi, who died last Tuesday in a
ghastly motor accident on his way to Kano for the
postponed NEC meeting.
The source noted that the union members are still
grieved and are pre-occupied with the burial
arrangement of the late Professor of Business
Administration, who died along the Abuja-Lokoja
highway in an accident caused by the convoy of Kogi
State Governor, Idris Wada.
The source debunked speculations in the social media
that ASUU has jettisoned its NEC indefinitely, saying
the union postponed the NEC meeting as a mark of
honour and respect for the late Iyayi.
According to him, all ASUU officials that were supposed
to participate in the NEC meeting last week Wednesday
had actually gathered at the Bayero University , Kano,
BUK but for the unfortunate accident which claimed
the life of Iyayi and disrupted the agenda already set
for the meeting.
Meanwhile, Supervisory Minister of education, Nyesom
Wike, also at the weekend led a delegation of
government on a condolence visit to the residence of
the late academician in Benin City.
Wike assured that the Federal Government would
diligently implement all the agreements it reached with
ASUU in the course of the negotiations with President
Goodluck Jonathan.
Those in the delegation of the minister include
Executive Secretary of the National Universities
Commission (NUC), Julius Okojie, and some top officials
of Federal Ministry of education.
They also visited the injured ASUU. National Welfare
Officer, Ngozi Iloh, who is said to be responding to
treatment at the University of Benin, UNIBEN Teaching
Hospital, Benin.
In a statement in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister's
Special Assistant (Media), Simeon Nwakaudu, said Wike
solicited the permission of the family to allow the
Federal Government participate in the burial ceremony
of the former ASUU president.
"President Goodluck Jonathan and the entire
administration are deeply pained by the sudden death
of the former ASUU National President who played a
key part in the negotiations between ASUU and the
Federal Government.
"We recall the significant contributions of Professor
Iyayi during the 13-hour negotiations between
President Jonathan and ASUU, which led to a headway
in the discussions.
"I want to assure the family that the ideals that the
late scholar fought and died for will never be forgotten.
The Federal Government will diligently implement the
decisions reached in the course of negotiations with
ASUU.
"The Federal Ministry of education wishes to be a part
of the burial of this erudite scholar and we seek the
permission of the family to participate in the burial. I
pray God to grant the family the strength to bear this
unfortunate loss," Wike was quoted to have said.
Oriabure Iyayi, son of the late ASUU president, was said
to have thanked President Jonathan, the Minister of
education and all Nigerians for commiserating with the
family at their moment of grief.
A relative of the deceased, Prof. Robert Ebiwele,
informed the minister that the burial will hold between
December 5 and 9.
He assured that the family would inform the Federal
Ministry of education on the burial arrangements.