Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said it is optimistic that the stand-off between it and the Federal Government would be resolved before mid-February.
It said the government’s offers to the union at the January 23, 2011 meeting in Abuja were being ‘studied’ by stakeholders.
ASUU President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday that discussions were ongoing with the various stakeholders on the offers.
Awuzie said, “The union is concerned about quick resolution of the issues and the resumption of academic activities in the universities.
“I am optimistic that the union will make its stand known before mid- February. We have taken the outcome of the Abuja meeting to the National Executive Committee of the union after which we shall also be taking it to our congress and various state branches.
“We are working on this seriously with all sense of urgency and the fact that we are consulting with all the stakeholders shows that we are interested in ending the strike within the shortest possible time.
ASUU had on December 5, 2010 embarked on an indefinite strike over non-implementation of their 2009 agreement with the government.
Meanwhile, scores of students from the University of Port Harcourt took to the streets on Friday in protest against the prolonged face-off between ASUU and the FG.
The students who chanted war songs along some major roads in the state capital expressed sadness that the union and the FG could not reach a compromise after a series of meetings.