Following successful meeting, FME directs Federal Universities to commence processes to re-open their schools Officials of the Federal Ministry of Education have been directed to commence the processes for the re-opening of the Federal Universities following the successful talks between ASUU and President Goodluck Jonathan. Scan News gathered that Governing Councils and the Vice Chancellors were specifically directed via direct communication from the National Universities Commission, NUC, to take immediate steps to ensure that the schools are in the right position to receive students immediately the strike is called off. Sources at the NUC told Scan News that the Vice Chancellors were also directed to protect the interest of students and parents henceforth and ensure that no one takes advantage of the ugly situation. The13-hour meeting started at about 2.30 p.m. on Monday at the Presidential Villa and ended at 3.30 a.m. on Tuesday.The meeting had in attendance the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by their respective Chairmen Abduwaheed Omar and Bobbo Kaigama. The ASUU team was led by the union’s President, Dr. Nasir Fagge, three former presidents of the union, professors Dipo Fashina, Abdullahi Sule-Kano and Festus Iyayi as well as professors Biodun Osiyemi, Victor Osodeke, Suleiman Abdullahi and Dr. Victor Igbum.On the government negotiation team were, Vice President Namadi Sambo; Minister of Labour, Chukwuemeka Wogu; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister of State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike. Also on the government side were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Mike Oghiadome, and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie. Emerging from the meeting, Fagge told State House correspondents that the president had given the delegation a message to its members which would enable the union to call off the strike. “We have had a lengthy meeting with Mr President, rubbing minds on the ways to address the problems of university education in this country.“We now have a message from Mr President that we are going to take to our members and we are expecting that our members will respond appropriately to the message of Mr President,” he said. Wogu, who spoke for the government, said that the meeting ended positively and the message of the President to ASUU “is full of hope and high expectations.“ The message is full of hope and expectations and our prayer is that they come back with positive response.“They might not even come back to meet us; they might even take decisions there that will meet your expectations. Scan News gathered that before making his offer, President Goodluck Jonathan laid openly before the ASUU leadership the financial position of the government and the projections in the coming years. It was after this that he made his unambiguous proposition which compelled ASUU to call for the break. The President, a Presidency official informed Scan News outlined his commitment to university education, reeling out areas mapped out for immediate attention. He on the spot directed TETFund and NUC to always involve ASUU leadership on all implementation committee to ensure that their aspirations were carried along. ASUU President Nasir Fagge and a former ASUU President Dipo Fashina it was gathered assured the President that something positive will flow from the meeting especially on the ground of the enthusiasm shown by the Education Minister and the Labour Minister. They praised the Education Minister for moving ahead to involve the Presidency immediately he started overseeing the ministry. With the financial and infrastructural offer on ground, the light at the end of the tunnel appears brighter.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 16:30:49 +0000
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