ASUU to call off strike next week

Respite has come for students in federal
universities as the Academic Staff Union of
University has given indication that it would
suspend its five-month ongoing strike by next
week.
The parties had on Wednesday, signed a document
to seal an agreement, giving the hope that the
strike may be called off within one week .
Although the President of ASUU, Professor Nasir
Faggae, declined comments on what was
contained in the document, our correspondent
gathered that it was about a review of the 2009
agreement.
In the agreement were the upward review of the
retirement age for professors from 65 to 70;
adequate funding to revitalise the university
system; progressive increase of budgetary
allocations to the education sector by 26 per cent.
Other aspects of the agreement include transfer of
Federal Government property to universities;
setting up of research and development units by
companies; payment of earned allowances; and
renegotiation of the signed agreement were also
included in the agreement.
The new agreement between the two was reached
barely 24 hours after the Special Assistant on
Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, presented a proof
of payment of N200 billion into an account with the
Central Bank of Nigeria.
However, Chairman of ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife branch, Prof. Akinola Adegbola,
told our correspondent that the union had no
reason not to suspend the strike.
He said documentation and commitment were the
agitations of the union leaders in its last national
executive meeting and those have been met by FG.
Copyright PUNCH.