The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has expressed optimism that the lingering lecturers’ strike would soon end, saying they see “light at the end of the tunnel.”
The fallout of the back-and-forth negotiations with the Federal Government has seen universities shut across the countries since February.
However, at a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, said: “For the first time, we have seen light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Speaker had hinted at the meeting that the long-running strike embarked upon by ASUU will be over “in matter of days.”
Gbajabiamila stated this while briefing the leadership of ASUU about his meetings with the President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
Earlier, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, who is ASUU’s counsel, also stated that soon the nearly eight-month strike would be called off.
Falana said this at the launch of a book, ‘Breaking Coconut With Your Head’ by Lanre Arogundade on Monday in Lagos.
He hinted that the industrial action will be concluded outside the courtroom in his reaction to the appellate court’s order that the public universities’ lecturers should return to classrooms.
The Federal Government and ASUU have been at loggerheads over demands of proper funding of the university educational system to global standards, since February 14.