The Federal Government has said it is confident its meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on Friday will lead to the end of the lingering ASUU strike in public universities.
Ngige, who addressed the media after the meeting, said the Federal Government had offered ASUU what it could afford.
He said the Federal Government was waiting for ASUU to respond after the leaders, who were at the meeting, had met with the members of the union.
He said, “The meeting was protracted but the good news is that we have got to the end of the tunnel.
We have finished the grey areas. On the issue of N50bn (demanded by ASUU for revitalisation), we have offered what we have. We do not have N50bn but we have offered something reasonable.
“Hopes (of universities reopening) are very high now, by Thursday, we will know.”
But the mood of the ASUU leaders after the meeting suggested that there was no definite time when the strike would be called off.
ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, told reporters that although progress had been made, it was too early to talk about reopening schools.
He said, “I cannot tell you that (when the strike will be called off) now until I tell my members. It is the feedback we came for today but we have information for our members. Until we tell our members we cannot tell you.”
Also, when asked how much the FG offered from the N50bn the union demanded and when it was likely for students to return to school, the ASUU president declined comment.
However, he said, “Until we meet our members, we cannot give any information. That is why I said we are making progress and the progress we are making is in everybody’s interest and stakeholders will benefit at the end of the day. We will be meeting again on Thursday.
“We have trashed all grey areas so the progress we have made must first be related to our members.”
