After 165 days of strike action following Federal Government’s refusal to implement agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities in 2009, there are strong indications that the Nigerian university lecturers end the one hundred and sixty-five days strike next week.

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the decisions reached during the 13-hour meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.

Initially, the government said it would not sign the MoU with the union which it ordered to return to work or be sacked ate the humble pie.

Supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike signed on behalf of the government, National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary Prof. Julius Okojie signed on behalf of the management. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Abdulwaheed Omar and the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education also signed.

The Minister said all contending issues between ASUU and the Federal Government have been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties. Wike said: “Today is not just historic; it is one of the happiest days of my life since I became the Supervising Minister of Education. As you are all aware, ASUU has been on strike for well over five months on account of their resolve to bring about a new lease of life to all public universities”.

Following Mr. President’s personal intervention in the marathon meeting he held on 4th November, 2013 with the Executive of ASUU and other Labour Union leaders where all residual issues were resolved, Nigerians from all walks of life had expressed optimism that the strike would soon be called off. Unfortunately and sadly too, this was not to be due to ASUU’s insistence that the Federal Government must take further practical steps to show good faith and commitment to the implementation of the agreement. “Let me reiterate that the Federal Government is serious about revitalizing all our universities and will continue to fund them as a matter of priority.”

National President, ASUU, Nasir Issa-Fagge said: “I thank all stakeholders for ensuring that we come this far. It is important to acknowledge the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan. He made it possible that we could come this far. What we had agreed with Mr. President in that 13 hours meeting had been judiciously documented and our members presumed that it was going to be documented, we wouldn’t have wasted time.

”I do not have the power to call off the strike. It is only our members that can do that. And within one week our members will meet and decide to call off the strike. We have a document here which shows that government is committed. And all the things we demanded for are in the letter. ”Our members are intellectuals. Since the signing of the 2009 agreement we (ASUU) have been pursuing government to get that agreement implemented. We succeeded

in getting a portion of the agreement implemented and here we are, we have lost time about four years.

”But I think it is never too late to turn a new page and do what is right with our universities. If we ever think that there is no need to fund the university education then we are deceiving ourselves. I am convinced that now that we are willing to turn a new leaf to give our universities the adequate funding so that they can have all it takes within and outside the country then I want to assure you that very soon we will be among the best in the world. The minister has invited us to look at the document and signed it.

”And like Mr. President earlier directed, we will now take this document to our members. And we are confident that our members will do the appropriate thing. I am a father and my children are in Nigerian universities and not in Malaysia, you can investigate. That is why I am also passionate about ensuring that our children get high quality education in Nigeria.”

The NLC President said: “The struggle that ASUU has put up must be seen in the correct perspective that it is a very selfless struggle because it is a struggle to make sure that universities have a very conducive environment to learn.

”I am very happy that today we are coming to a very good conclusion. Nobody has gone on strike because they just want to go on strike but because of Nigeria.”