After eight gruesome months of going back and forth in negotiations, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has agreed to call off its strike which has grounded academic activities in the public universities since March.

The union leadership reached the consensus during a meeting with the government team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment,  Dr Chris Ngige, in Abuja, on Friday.

The government also pledged to pay N40bn as the Earned Allowance and N30bn for the revitalisation of the university system bringing the total payment to N70bn.

The FG further agreed to settle the arrears of salaries of the lecturers before December 31.

This is coming on the heels of the Federal Government’s acceptance of the demand made by ASUU that they be exempted from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System pending the approval of their proposed payment system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.

ASUU is expected to report the agreement to its organs and then communicate their decision to the government after which a date for the calling off of the strike would be announced.

A source informed our correspondent that ASUU insisted that the agreement should not be announced until it had been approved by its members, but stated as follows in its twitter account:

“The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has shifted ground on FG’s offer. The Union insisted that payment of outstanding salaries must not be done as through the IPPIS platform as promised, if strike would be suspended.”

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ngige noted that the parley was fruitful, adding that the government made a proposal to ASUU which it would take back to its members.

He said, “Many issues were discussed at the meeting, including salary shortfall, the payment system and revitalisation of the university system. I am positive that all the issues would be resolved at our next meeting.”

The ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, simply noted that everything Ngige said was correct and declined further comment.

The Punch