Officials of the Federal Government have announced their belief that the results of their meeting with various university unions will return positive results. In a statement made on Friday, the Head of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Olajide Oshundun said that some agreements had been reached between the government and the unions.
Aside from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the Association of Academic Technologists (AAT) were also on strike.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige speaking on the three-part meeting held to resolve the matter announced that it was successful and that all parties involved had a cordial and fruitful discussion. He said that they looked at the issues dispassionately and reached some agreements which were satisfactory to everyone in attendance.
The heads of the four unions in attendance would go and brief their colleagues to call off the strike before returning next week to hash out the final agreements concerning the renegotiation of the condition of service and wage review, among others.
Also speaking was the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the three-part meeting, Prof Ibrahim Gambari who expressed sorrow at the chronic problems afflicting universities that had resulted in the disruption of the academic calendar. He urged members of ASUU and the other unions to return to their posts and gave assurances that the president was determined to put an end to the conflicts.
