The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has expressed optimism that the lingering lecturers’ strike would soon end, saying they see “light at the end of the tunnel.”
The fallout of the back-and-forth negotiations with the Federal Government has seen universities shut across the countries since 14th February 2022.
The House of Representatives’ involvement in the crisis between university lecturers and the Federal Government has been praised by the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, declaring on Monday: “For the first time, we have seen the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House, informed the ASUU leadership about his discussions with President Muhammadu Buhari on the problem and stated that he expects the strike to be called off “in matter of days.
The Union Leader said “If the way the National Assembly has intervened; if we had done that long ago, or those in charge of labour and education had done exactly this, we would not be where we are today.
“We would not have stayed more than two or three weeks on this strike.
“There is strike all over the world — UK, US, all over. But they don’t allow it to last.”
Meanwhile, the Speaker had hinted at the meeting that the long-running strike embarked upon by ASUU will be over “in matter of days.”
Gbajabiamila stated this while briefing the leadership of ASUU about his meetings with the President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
Earlier, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, who is ASUU’s counsel, also stated that soon the nearly eight-month strike would be called off.
Falana said this at the launch of a book, ‘Breaking Coconut With Your Head’ by Lanre Arogundade on Monday in Lagos.
He hinted that the industrial action will be concluded outside the courtroom in his reaction to the appellate court’s order that the public universities’ lecturers should return to classrooms.
The Federal Government and ASUU have been at loggerheads over demands of proper funding of the university educational system to global standards, since February 14.
