By: Sunday Oyewole
After 13 hours marathon meeting, President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday failed to secure firm commitment from the officials of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the ongoing strike.
The lecturers have been on a nationwide strike for over four months now. President Jonathan decided to head a high-powered Federal Government team after previous efforts to resolve the lingering crisis over the implementation of the 2009 agreement yielded no results.
It will be recalled that Vice President Namadi Sambo in September took over the negotiation when previous efforts by Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim had failed.
Also on the Jonathan’s team were Vice President Sambo, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, Chief of Staff to the President, Mike Oghiadomhe, Ministers of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Labour and Productivity, Emeka Worgu and acting Education Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Nasir Isa Fagge, ASUU National President spoke briefly to State House correspondents after the marathon meeting, saying the team would report back to the members that sent them.
His words, “We are taking a message from President Goodluck Jonathan to our members”, declining further comment.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Worgu could not also be specific, suggesting that little had been achieved after the sleepless night.
The meeting which started at 2.38pm on Monday and ended around 2.10am on Tuesday. They had just about 20 minutes break in-between during which the supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike was excused.
President Jonathan had sent positive signal that the matter would be resolved when he entered the First Lady Conference room, venue of the all-important meeting.
While exchanging pleasantries with ASUU President, he had said jocularly, “My President, we must solve the problem today, our children must return to the classrooms”.
Also, on getting to where the Nigeria Labour Congress President (NLC), Abdulwaheed Omar was seated, he said again, “My President, with you here, it is signed and sealed”.
