The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday said progress was being made on the contentious issues that led to the strike.
All the relevant government agencies working on the issues in dispute are expected to meet in Abuja to harmonize their positions for presentation to the Ibrahim Gambari-led committee mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring an end to the strike by all the industrial unions in the universities.
The committee includes the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the National Salaries and Wages Income Commission, the National University Commission, and the striking unions.
Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige, who denied that the government was not doing much to end the strikes, told reports after the FEC meeting that efforts were being intensified to ensure that the universities reopened soon.
Asked to be specific on what the government was doing to have the universities reopen, he replied: “It will be resolved very soon.”
Speaking with reporters last night, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke also confirmed that progress was being made by the parties.
Osodoke said: We are making progress with the Minister of Education(Adamu Adamu) who is our employer.
“Since we have been meeting with the Education minister you don’t hear public statements. We are dealing with him quietly and we want to resolve this problem among ourselves and then go back to school.”
