ASUU To Call Off Strike Next Week

There are reports of a breakthrough is some outstanding issues tabled before the Federal Government over the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
This bit of information was disclosed yesterday when the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim inaugurated the "Universities Needs Implementation Committee", with Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam as its chairman.
Suswam said all outstanding issues have been resolved except two, which bothers on pending payment of allowances and upgrading of universities physical infrastructures.
He said he can not guarantee when the strike would be called off bur all things being equal, there is a likelihood that the lecturers will return to work next week.

"It is not in my position to say when the strike will be called off…If all the issues are resolved, what is the need of carrying on with the strike" he said.
"After so many hours of deliberation, we agreed on major issues except two of them, which are on the pending upgrading of physical infrastructures of the universities and pending allowances", he said.
He added that, "By Monday we will talk about the pending allowances, while on Thursday that of upgrading of the university facilities will be discussed with my committee together with other intervention agencies".
Speaking further he said: "The issue of government intervention in the universities…because if you look at many universities there are infrastructural deficit and that is why we will also involve intervention agencies, and foreign institutions".
"The other issues agreed upon are the retirement age from 65 to 70 years, it has been resolved; setting of research centres; establishment of Pension Administration, and Governing Council, which has been done already.

culled from ynaija