Federal Government says the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities will soon come to an end.
The assurances followed the payment of part of the arrears of salaries to the university lecturers in line with the agreement reached with the union.
Some lecturers confirmed that they had been paid two months’ salary arrears.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, while speaking at the meeting with ASUU, on Tuesday, assured that the strike would be called off before January 15.
The minister, who also referred to an ultimatum issued by some students, said the strike would be called off before January 15,but noted that he had not received a letter from the students threatening to embark on protests if the strike was not called off.
Ngige said, “The government would disappoint all those wishing for the protests as all the matters in dispute must have been resolved by January 15.
“Those who want to use the #EndASUU protest to destroy public and private property or lecturers’ homes will be disappointed.
“I am optimistic that the meeting will produce the final result that will make everybody happy.”
Expressing optimism about the meeting, the minister informed ASUU that he had received confirmation from the FG that most of the grey areas had been dealt with.
“We are hopeful that ASUU will then take the report of what we achieved today to their members. We allow social dialogue in line with ILO conventions for all employers and employees, to guide this meeting,” he stated.
ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said they sympathised with their students who are also their children, adding that “no amount of sacrifice would be too much to get the matter resolved as long as the government is consistent with its commitments”.
Ogunyemi said they came for the meeting with all sense of responsibility to resolve the crisis in the interest of the students and their members, who, he said had been starving.
He, however, reiterated that only the National Executive Committee of ASUU could announce the suspension of the strike.