The President of ASUU, Comrade Biodun Ogunyemi, gave the clarification as indications emerged that the on-going strike in public universities across the country will continue till a week time.
However, based on the outcome of an emergency meeting between the Federal Government and leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held in Abuja yesterday, the strike may be called off in a week time.
At the meeting were the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige; the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; the Executive Secretary National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Adamu Abubakar Rasheed; and the Executive Chairman, National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission, Chief Richard Onwuka Egbule.
Before the meeting went to a closed door, the ASUU president said the allegation against the union by the government was not true, adding that the ASUU had written a letter dated July 10 which the Minister of Labour confirmed during their brief meeting on Tuesday.
Comrade Ogunyemi said: “The substantial issues are not for the press, but I want to clear this allegation that ASUU kept the relevant ministries, departments and agencies in the dark before proceeding on this action.
“You (Labour Minister) will recall that when we came here two days ago, we drew your attention to a letter dated July 10 and it was why we were here that you confirmed that you were seeing that letter for the first time.
“Between July 10 and now, I don’t think it is one day. In the last ten months or so, we have written five letters and have tried to reach out to the relevant stakeholder since we suspended our action in November last year.
“One other issue I want to clear is about the Babalakin committee. What we had at the end of our discussion last November were areas that are actionable and we left that place with the impression that there will be follow up. We appreciate what has been done since we started this action and we are here again to see what we can get.
“In summary, we want to take information from here to our members who are our principals. So, we are open to your suggestions.”
Also, Ngige had earlier said at the opening of the meeting that the government would not want to be legalistic, insisting that the strike should not have occurred without the mandatory notice as required by the Trade Dispute Act.
The minister said the government would not also want to apportion blames, adding, “two days ago, we met here on the ban of ASUU by the Kogi State Government and thereafter, on the sideline, we touched the current ASUU strike which has led us to where we are. Today, we are going to discuss the issue of that strike.
“We don’t want to apportion blames because if we do, we will not resolve the issues. Also, we don’t want to be legalistic because if we do, the strike should not have occurred without the mandatory notice as required by the Trade Dispute Act.”
The meeting which started around 3.30 pm lasted for about one and half hours. Ngige annd Ogunyemi, who also spoke with journalists after the meeting said the government had made offers to ASUU, which both parties were expecting the ASUU leadership to present to their members and call of the strike.
Senator Ngige said the government has been working within the last 48 hours to ensure that the strike was suspended.
The Labour Minister said: “The meeting was not very long and we touched the various issues. Within the last 48 hours, government has been working. The Minister of Education, Minister of Finance, Attorney General of the Federation and we have taken some government positions which we have communicated to ASUU for them to take back to their members to see if that can be adequate enough for them to call off the strike.
“The major issue is that we want the strike called off so that our children in school can write their degree and promotion exams. ASUU graciously said they will come back to us on a date within the next one week. It will not be later than one week so that we then take it from there.”
Though both the minister and the ASUU president did not revealed the terms of the offers, Ogunyemi said the ASUU leadership would take the issue and what the government had offered them to their member and decide if to call off the strike.
The ASUU president said: “Like the minister said, government has made some offers on the issues we have raised and we have taken copious note of their offers and we have to get back to our members and make all the information available to them for them to consider and advise us.
“Based on their position, we will come back to government hopefully within the next one week.”
Asked to give the details of the offer, Ogunyemi said: “I am sorry that I can’t go into discussing specifics. The offers are for our members and when we met with them, we will come back and unveil all the issues as agreed on.”
On whether the strike will be called off before then, he said, “the leadership of the union did not call the strike, our members called the strike and they will decide when to suspend the strike. So, when our members decide otherwise, it will be called off”.
(Tribune)
