Mark Calls For Win-win Resolution Of ASUU Strike

Parties in the ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been urged to approach reconciliatory efforts with open mind to ensure that a win-win situation was reached.

Senate President David Mark made this call in Abuja on Monday at a preparatory forum for a scheduled meeting between ASUU and Presidency aimed at resolving the strike.

Mark stressed that the strike called for urgent resolution to enable students to return to schools.

``As you are aware, I have been mandated by the Senate to meet with you and the Federal Government to resolve this crisis as soon as possible.

``I believe that is what you also want. I sympathise with your cause and believe that whatever can be done for you to go back to your work should be done immediately.

``At the end of the day, it is not how long we drag this matter that is important but how soon we sorted it out.

``The national interest is what is at stake because our students have been out of classrooms for four months now", Mark said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mark's delegation and ASUU representatives later left for the Presidential Villa for the meeting between ASUU and President Goodluck Jonathan.

President of ASUU, Dr Nasir Fagge expressed optimistic that the mediatory efforts by the Senate President would yield positive results.

The Senate, last week, mandated Mark to mediate in the lingering dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government over the agreement entered into by the two parties in 2009.

Fagge said ASUU was convinced that Mark's mediation would create the necessary platform for the amicable resolution of the crisis.

``We are convinced that whatever we come up with will go a long way towards addressing the problem. We really appreciate your intervention.

``At every opportunity we have to dialogue with people, we have to come with open mind so that we can make the most out of that intervention.

``We are convinced that your intervention will go a long way towards addressing the problem in the universities", Fagge said.

He said it was unfortunate that Nigerian students were migrating to neighbouring West African countries for university education.

``We are also parents and also among us we have students who are pursuing post graduate degrees. So, this strike directly affects us negatively.

``But Sir, it's one of the sacrifices we really have to make to ensure that we do what is right with our universities'', he stressed.

(NAN)