The National Executive Council of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU, will meet on Thursday in
Abuja to adopt a position on the concessions offered by
the Nigerian government, PREMIUM TIMES can report.
The negotiation team of ASUU had on Friday requested
one week to submit the government’s offers to its
members for consultation and report back to government.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how branches held
congresses on Wednesday with varying decisions on the
government offer.
A source in the union, who asked not to be named
because he was not authorised to speak with journalists on
the issue, informed PREMIUM TIMES that the national
leadership of ASUU will meet on Thursday to decide
whether the strike action be called off or continued.
“NEC will hold a decisive meeting tomorrow and will
collate the outcome of all branch meetings held,” the
source told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.
Officials of the union contacted declined to speak on
record on the likely outcome of the meeting.
The president of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi, did not pick
or return calls seeking comments.
It would be recalled that the federal government team led
by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige,
and his Education counterpart, Adamu Adamu, had
presented the federal government’s new offer to the union
on Thursday last week.
ASUU had then promised to get back with a decision
within a week on whether the strike will be called off or
not.
ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, was quoted as saying
last week: “Now we have something concrete to present
to our members.”
The union declared a nationwide strike in August to
protest against poor funding of varsities and issues
relating to salaries.