The ASUU strike in 2013 continues, but the latest news is that the government and the union signed an agreement, signaling that the strike should be called off soon.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday evening.
Representing the union at the meeting preceding the agreement was its chairman, Dr. Nasir Fagge.
Nyesom Wike, the minister of education, represented the government.
The union told Channels that it plans on returning to work next week.
This is the first agreement signed between the two sides and represents the most significant sign that the strike will end.
The strike began in July after the union said the government wasn’t abiding by conditions reached in a 2009 agreement between the sides.
Fagge told the Leadership that the agreement settled many of the conditions outlined by the union, including the deposit of N200 billion in an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, as well as money for infrastructure development at universities across the nation.
A key component of the deal was a non-victimization clause, which basically means that lecturers will get paid for the time they were striking even though they weren’t teaching.
Meanwhile, Wike declared: “All contending issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties; we are partners in progress and there is no victor no vanquish, as our struggle is in the interest of the country.”
He added: “As a responsible and responsive government, we have a duty to restore normalcy to our university system, so that our children can resume school to pursue their educational careers. Consequently, the vice chancellors of Nigerian universities have been directed by the pro-chancellors to immediately reopen the universities for academic activities while the minor discrepancies are being sorted out.”
The union’s National Executive Council will meet within a week and “it’s possible that the strike would be called off within one week,” Fagge reportedly said.
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