ASUU holds NEC meeting Thursday, may call off strike Friday

Sources told Vanguard that the NEC meeting would be preceded by congresses in its branches nationwide today.

In line with its tradition, the NEC meeting would start late on Thursday and the decision made public early Friday morning when the ongoing strike is expected to be called off.

Incidentally, that day would mark the eighth month the industrial action started.

The developments , it was gathered, are a result of the intervention of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, in the matter after the Court of Appeal last Friday gave the union seven days to comply with the ruling of the National Industrial Court in Abuja, that it should call off the action before further entertainment of the matter between it and the FG would continue.

Also, the issue of the withheld salaries was resolved, with the government promising to pay in tranches.

The lecturers have not been paid since March like the non-teaching staff who resumed duties about two months ago.

With this development, Governing Councils of affected universities are expected to call for the reopening of the schools from next week.

However, students’ resumption of classes may not be immediate, as hostels and other facilities not used for about eight months would have to be put in shape.

Recall that ASUU went on strike on February 14, this year over some demands from the government.

Top on the list is the use of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS as the payment platform in the university sector which the union wants to be scrapped.