ASUU STRIKE PROPOSED TO END ON SATURDAY AS ASUU/NEC TO MEET FOR FINAL DELIBERATION

Already, chairmen of local chapters of ASUU are converging on Kano, preparatory to the meeting, from where a positive resolution is being expected. Chairman of one of the federal universities in the
South-South, who did not want his name mentioned, said the strike "may...

be suspended on Saturday."
"Many of the chapters are disposed to ending this strike, which has
cost us all a full semester. "As I speak with you, we (chairmen) are
on our way to Kano for NEC meeting tomorrow (today)." Asked if the
strike would be suspended, he said: "I think so, judging by reports
from the Monday congresses we held simultaneously. We may suspend the
strike on Saturday or Sunday."
He, however, admonished government to ensure that it honoured its
promise so as not to return the university system to this "sorry
past". This, of course, formed the basis for the Monday congresses and
today's "decider" NEC meeting.
The Kano meeting is to deliberate on whether to call off the strike as
the NEC receives reports of the congresses that held "simultaneously"
in all the universities across the country. Local chapters of ASUU had
held their congresses on Monday to vote on the suspension or
otherwise.
The said agreement, which necessitated the subsisting July 1 action,
required that the Federal Government will, within a period of five
years, release more than N1trn, to bridge the noticeable
infrastructural deficits in the nation's ivory towers. Also, the
Federal Government would have released N92bn, for what the union
christened, "earned allowance."
However, ASUU seems to have a moral burden now as the Federal
Government said it had released over N30bn as part of the contentious
earned allowance. Last week's meeting of the Fagge-led ASUU with
President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, prompted positive steps
by ASUU towards ending the strike.
At the meeting, President Jonathan was said to have pledged
government's readiness to release N220bn in next year's budget and in
subsequent appropriations.
Meanwhile, the University of Jos, UNIJOS, chapter of the union
explained its support for the continuation of the ongoing strike.
After considering the outcome of the meeting which the union's
national body had with President Jonathan, members of the branch had
last Monday voted in favour of the continuation of the four month- old
strike.
The UNIJOS branch of ASUU said the meeting with the President achieved
nothing, a position which had also been condemned by some stakeholders
The Branch Chairman, Dr. David Jangkham, said yesterday in Jos, the
Plateau State capital, that his members were compelled to take the
stand because of the government's insensitivity to their plight.

I fink Unijos's Asuu chairman is a mallam or an aboki...

*nairaland