The much talked about meeting between representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the federal government has ended in a stalemate again.
This was the next opportunity many students and parents had put so much hopes upon after six months of students being home.
President of the ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, said the government did not come to the discussion table with anything commendable and acceptable.
He said the union would address journalists later but before then, report back to the members of the union.
The Ministry of Education as well said the Minister would address the press on Thursday to state what transpired at the meeting.
The union had declared its strike since February after months of warning over the state of the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The union is demanding university autonomy while also asking for adequate funding.
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There has also been a disagreement over the modalities for the payment of salaries and emoluments of the workers.
Media reports have quoted Osodeke as saying that “We didn’t sign anything; they did not come with anything good. I can’t go into details. We will talk to our members first before we talk to the press. We represent our members.’’
It was learnt that the government team came to the meeting pleading with the ASUU officials to beg its members on behalf of the government and consider the plight of the Nigerian students and their parents.
At the beginning, all seemed quite at the meeting according to a source privy to it but the unions were said to have been pissed by the seeming blackmail.
“Some of us had to leave the meeting because it did not look like they were serious,” the source at the meeting said.