ASUU: FG may involve Shagari, Obasanjo in negotiation...

There are indications that the Federal Government may seek the intervention of past Presidents/Heads of States, Governors, traditional rulers and serving Senators to mediate in its current face-off with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The supervisory Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, said this on Wednesday in Abuja during a palliative meeting with the President of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Michael Olukoya; and Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu.

Olukoya had suggested that following the inability of the committees earlier set up to settle the crisis, the Federal Government should seek the intervention of past presidents, governors, traditional rulers and serving senators.

He also said that the  NUT still stood by its threat to solidarise with ASUU over the university teachers’ demands  unless directed otherwise by the union’s National Executive Council.

Olukoya said, “With the way this strike has lingered on for three months, we believe government should explore all modalities to end it. Government should invite past heads of states, speakers, senators, Ministers of Labour and Education and every other stakeholder in the sector to resolve this ugly situation.

“Call powerful voices like traditional leaders to intervene in this strike because our concern as teachers is that as these undergraduates stay at home, they are prone to negative vices and in turn these are the same people that would lead the society in future.”

Wike said government was looking at the suggestion by NUT.

He said, “We have met to dialogue on the way forward to the crisis in the education sector. The meeting went very well and it was very cordial with respect to the crisis between ASUU and Federal Government.

“We have put our heads together and we have taken all the ideas, both the one we suggested and the one NUT suggested and we are going to move it forward.  The suggestions  by NUT were quite good and the ones we suggested were also quite good and we have put them together. Just watch out what is going to happen very soon.”

The Minister was however evasive on when the strike would be called off.

Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities will meet in Akure, Ondo State on Monday, October 6, to deliberate on the ASUU strike.

This came as students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to implement immediately the various agreements it reached with labour unions in the nation’s tertiary institutions.