The meeting was planned following the Federal Government’s offers to the union to return to the clasasroom. But the death of one of the union’s leaders, Prof Festus Iyayi, yesterday, may cause the postponement of the Kano meeting.
The ASUU leadership, last week, met with the Fedral Government, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja.
The meeting, which lasted several hours, however, ended in a stalemate, as the union did not end the strike.
ASUU’s National President Dr Nasir Fagge told State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting that he needed to consult various chapters of the union before he would make a statement on the strike.
As the union met in Kano yesterday, hopes were high that it would end the action.
The University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter of ASUU, which voted against ending the four-month-old strike, has said it would resume classes, if directed by the national body.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter also voted in favour of ending the strike.
The Chairman of the UNIJOS chapter, Dr. David Jangdam, spoke yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
He said: “Yes, the local ASUU chapter voted 159 to 88 against ending the strike at its congress on Monday, but we shall abide by any decision taken by the national body on Wednesday.”
ASUU’s central body is expected to meet in Kano today to take a final decision on whether or not to end the strike after collating resolutions from various local branches, which considered the offer by President Goodluck Jonathan during their congresses on Monday.
Jonathan, at a meeting in Abuja, had made the offers to persuade the lecturers to end their strike.
The lecturers are seeking better funding for the universities and improved welfare packages for the teaching staff.
Jangdam told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that the decision of the national body was final and binding on all local chapters.
He said: “Even the strike was not supported by all the universities. Many local chapters of ASUU opposed it, but majority wanted it and we embarked on it.”
The Chairman of the UNILAG branch, Dr Karo Ogbinaka, could not be reached for comments on the outcome of the union’s meeting.
But a member of the union, who spoke in confidence, said the lecturers agreed to suspend the strike.
He said: “We are calling off the strike. We have sent our referendum to the national leaders of the union so they will collate the results and decide what to do…”
Source: The Nation
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