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       #Post#: 187--------------------------------------------------
       ASUU STRIKE: Strike Should Be Called Off In No Distant Future.– 
       Suswam
       By: Ebenezer Date: August 20, 2013, 12:54 pm
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       The chairman of the Needs Committee of the Federal Government
       negotiating team with the Academic Staff Union of Universities
       and Governor of Benue, GabrielSuswam yesterday said with the
       progress so far made in negotiation, the strike embarked upon by
       the university teachers should be called off in no distant
       future.
       Speaking with State House Corespondents after meeting with
       President Goodluck Jonathan at the presidential Villa, governor
       Suswam said from its initial position that there was no money to
       meet the demand of academic staff, government has offered
       N30billion and has indicated its willingness to meet other
       demands by ASUU.
       “I can say that we have made substantial progress and we are
       hoping that this strike should be called off based on some of
       the mechanisms that we have put in place to move the sector
       forward. We met extensively yesterday (Monday).
       “You know there are two components to the whole issue; the needs
       assessment component, which is the one that I’m handling, we
       have to some large extent concluded on that; the earned
       allowance committee, which is being headed by the SGF,that is
       where there are some contentions. But as you must have heard,
       the federal government made an offer of N30 billion to assist
       the various Councils of our universities to be able to pay the
       earned allowances.
       There is also N100 billion that is why myself, the Minister of
       Finance, the SGF,the ministers of education, labour, the Chief
       of Staff to the President and the VIce President have just risen
       from a meeting to take some decisions that would end the strike
       and the President has instructed us on what to do and he has
       shown a lot of commitments and flagging offa project worth about
       N 1 00 billion in all the universities in the country. So we are
       hoping that we will be able to see the end of the strike very
       soon if at the end of the day ASUU is satisfied with the
       measures that have so far been taken” he said.
       Governor Suswam further revealed that the federal government
       will also be meeting withthe university councils and vice
       chancellors ofuniversities within the week with a view to
       updating them on some of the decisions taken so far.
       “The president has graciously agreed that in the first week of
       September he will be able toflag-off the projects. You also know
       that the procurement process will have to be followed and these
       projects include hostels in our universities, classrooms and
       theaters, libraries and laboratories amongst others, some are
       renovation some are new
       and all the 61 universities are going to benefit from one
       project or another, so it is not going to be selective, all the
       universities are going to benefit from this infrastructural
       revitalization of our universities.
       “the federal government has opted to also meet with the Councils
       and managements of the universities because earned allowance is
       something that can be certified by the management and councils
       of the universities.The federal government said it is assisting
       the universty councils with the sum of N30 billion for them to
       go and verify the people who actually earn these allowances and
       pay them.
       “I think that the government had demonstrated some substantial
       faith . Yes, if ASUU said that this is the amount of money that
       the FG is owing them and the FG has shifted ground from its
       initial posture of there was no money to offering N30 billion,
       itmeans we are moving forward and with a N100 billion available
       now for addressing thephysical infrastructure deficit in our
       universities, I think the federal government has done quiet well
       to have moved to where we are today” he said.
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