The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday suspended the strike it started three months ago.

Addressing the press last night, ASUU president Prof Biodun Ogunyemi said the strike was suspended following a careful review of the report of engagements with the Federal Government on proposals for addressing all outstanding in the 2013 MoU and MoA.

He said, “NEC resolved that the current strike action by the union should be suspended conditionally with effect from 12.01a.m on Friday 8th February 2019.”

He however warned that should government fail to fulfil its part of the agreement as reflected in the 2019 Memorandum of Action, the union will resume its suspended strike as the union deems necessary.

He enjoined both federal and state government to play the roles expected of them in order to make the new memorandum work.

Ogunyemi commended the Federal Government for facilitating the release of the final letter of approval for the granting of operational license to the Nigerian Universities Pension Company (NUMPENCO) and decision to commence visitation to all federal Universities by 11th of March.

He said the government has also agreed to the provision of documented guidelines on procedures and roles of parties in the process of renegotiating FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009 which would commence not later than 18th February 2019 and end by Friday 29th March, 2019.

He berated some vice chancellor for what he called “covert and overt roles in the management and application of funds attracted by the Union to Nigeria’s public universities.

“We condemn in the strongest term vice chancellors who have made efforts to undermine and, in some cases, attempted to break our patriotic struggles for the revitalization of public universities,” he said.

Earlier, an agreement between FG and ASUU was signed at a meeting held at the instance of Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige and his education counterpart Adamu Adamu.

The parties reached the truce few hours after the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) threatened showdown against the leadership of ASUU who attended the negotiation.

Ngige said, “This is going to be a conclusive meeting and conciliatory meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU.”

The minister said the parties resolved the 8 issues, adding that the issue of NUMPENCO has been resolved and that ASUU has collected the licence on January 28, 2019.