ASUU strike may end in days after talks with Gbajabiamila

• Lawmakers to meet Buhari, invite accountant general, wages commission, others

The lingering strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may be called in a matter of days following agreement the union reached with the leadership of the House of Representatives at a meeting on Tuesday.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila said after the meeting that he would lead the lawmakers to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on the strike.

The Tuesday meeting with ASUU national leaders that lasted about five hours was also attended by Goodluck Opiah, minister of state for education, at the national assembly.

The speaker said the legislators would meet with the President when he returns to Nigeria, although no date has been set for the meeting.

Buhari is currently in New York, United States, attending the 77th session of the United Nations general assembly (UNGA).

He also said the lawmakers had invited the accountant-general of the federation, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), auditor-general of the federation, and the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to “finalise” on the meeting held with ASUU.

The invited government officials are to appear before the leadership of the house on Thursday.

Speaking after the meeting on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila said some resolutions have been reached with ASUU.

“There are seven areas that ASUU has presented — what we consider to be requisition to go back to class,” he said.

“We have looked at these seven areas and we have more or less agreed on certain things.

“Pursuant to finalising the meeting of our minds, we have asked that NITDA, accountant-general, auditor-general and the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) will be invited.

“Unfortunately, it’s too late to invite them tomorrow because the letters will only go out tomorrow. They will be invited to meet with the leadership on Thursday so that we can dot the ‘i’ and (cross the) ‘t’.

“We will meet with Mr President and lay before him the agreement made by this arm of government — the legislature and leadership of this house. We are hopeful and believe that Mr President will buy into the agreement and with that, I believe that this matter will be speedily brought to a close.

“In the meantime, between now and when Mr President comes, ASUU itself will go back to its members with the resolutions that we have come up with today.”

In his remarks, Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU president, said the resolutions reached with the lawmakers will be discussed with members of the union.

“In the very near future, the issue (strike) will be resolved,” he said.

ASUU had embarked on strike in February, halting academic activities in public universities for over seven months.

The federal government had also recently filed a suit against the union at the national industrial court over the lingering strike.

The court is scheduled to rule on the matter on Wednesday.