THE ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Tuesday, September 5, said that it would honour invitation from the federal government to resume the suspended talks on Thursday, September 7, on the on-going strike and its demands.

Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU president, disclosed this in an interview, that the union had received invitation for the meeting and would act on it.

Ogunyemi said: “Yes, we are in receipt of the invitation by government and will honour it.” He, however, declined to speak more on the issue.

Samuel Oloowokere, spokesman of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, had, in a statement in Abuja, on Saturday, September 2, disclosed that meeting with striking university teachers would resume immediately after the Sallah holidays.

He said the parley was in line with the request of the ASUU.

“In view of its determination to end every disruption in the academic calendar of universities, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senate Chris Ngige, wishes to inform all stakeholders and the general public that reconciliation with the university teachers will resume immediately after the Sallah break as requested by ASUU,” the statement read.

Those expected at the Thursday meeting, aside ASUU delegation, include minister of Education; minister of Finance; chairman, National Income Salaries and Wages Commission, NSIWC; executive secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, and the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC.

Ahead of the meeting, the Joint Action Committee, JAC, which makes up of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU; National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, and the Non Academic Staff Union, NASU, scheduled a meeting for today, Wednesday, September 6, in Abuja, to ratify the strike approved by the various branches.

Abdussobur Salaam, the national public relations officer of the SSANU, who confirmed the JAC meeting, said that results of the referendum conducted by the committee had been collated but refused to disclose the likely outcome.

He said: “The indication from the referendum is that our members voted for strike. JAC has the final say. I am not aware of any branches that opted out of the exercise.

“The Federal Government has not reached out to JAC since the news of our position was made public in the media. Hope government is not waiting for us to embark on strike before reaching out to the three unions.”

Sept 6, 2017 @ 13:04 GMT