The latest report reaching us is that the Federal Government may have reopened dialogue with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), in a bid to end the over two months old strike. This came just as the National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS) urged both government and ASUU to return back to the negotiation table, with each party willing to shift ground from their previous positions. Indications to the new development with ASUU emerged on Monday, when journalists were called to cover the meeting, which was eventually postponed till next week, with a ministry official saying this was to allow the supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, get proper briefing on the current standpoint of the issues involved. Wike was joined by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, for the meeting scheduled for 12 noon at the Federal Ministry of Education conference room before it was called off. Nigerian Tribune gathered that the resumption of talks followed the exit of the former Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, who was dropped last week by President Goodluck Jonathan alongside eight other ministers. The negotiation between the government and leadership of ASUU broke down over disagreement on payment of academic earned allowance to union members. Meanwhile, the Nigerian students, under the auspices of NANS, have called on both the Federal Government and ASUU to return back to the negotiation table, in order to resolve their differences in good faith. Acting Senate president of NANS, John Shima, while addressing newsmen in Abuja, lauded the sack of Professor Rufa’i and other ministers, as part of the initiatives of President Jonathan to retool the government. “ASUU and Federal Government should go back to the negotiating table. Even after wars, issues are resolved at the roundtable. Nigerian students have been idle for 78
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:42:57 +0000
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