By Faith Igbudu
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Friday called off its eight months old strike and asked members to return to class.
The Voice gathered that the decision was arrived in a meeting that began yesterday, October 12, 2022 and ended early hours of this morning at the Comrade Festus lyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja.
In a communiqué issued and signed by President of the union, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, it stated that the suspension of the strike followed several intervention efforts of well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside government and the progress made so far, noting that the issues raised by the union have not been satisfactorily resolved.
It read in part: “NEC deliberated on the recommendations of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led Committee within the framework of the FGN/ASUU’s Memorandum of Action (MoA) of 2020 on the contending issues that led to the strike action. For the avoidance of doubt, the issues include: Funding for Revitalisation of public universities, Earned Academic Allowances, Proliferation of public Universities, Visitation Panels/ Release of White Papers.
Others are: “University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a broad spectrum software to stop illegality and provide for an alternative payment platform in the university system, and Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
“While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute are yet to be satisfactorily addressed.
“However, as a law-abiding Union and in deference to appeals by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and in recognition of the efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and other well-meaning Nigerians, ASUU NEC resolved to suspend the strike action embarked upon on 14th February, 2022.
“Consequently, all members of ASUU are hereby directed to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12.01 on Friday, 14 October, 2022.”