The conciliatory meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called to end the ongoing strike by the Union has adjourned to reconvene by Monday, next week.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the eight-hour-long meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige said the two sides have reached some measure of understanding, particularly as regards four areas of ASUU’s demands.
Dr Ngige, however, said the only area in which the meeting was yet to reach an understanding was the university revitalization fund, which, according to him, necessarily needs the input of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning before concrete decisions can be taken.
The labour and employment minister also explained that a technical Committee has been set up to test-run the University Transparency and Accountability System (UTAS) – a payment platform developed by ASUU to replace IPPIS.
He described UTAS as a home-grown innovative system which the present administration encourages .
Dr Ngige expressed confidence that all the grey areas would be addressed, in order to ensure the resumption of academic activities in the nation’s universities after next Monday’s meeting.
Meanwhile, the members of the ASUU executive, led by its president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, declined to comment on the outcome of the meeting.
Earlier at the opening session of the meeting, Professor Osodeke however said ASUU only wants the Federal Government to urgently match actions with the terms of understanding already reached, rather than just going through another process of negotiations of lingering issues.
