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Relief came to students of Abia State University (ABSU),Uturu on
Thursday as the staff unions of the school suspend their four month old strike
after signing an agreement to that effect with the state government. The
agreement also signal what could be an end to the closure of universities
across the five eastern states by protesting workers.

Chairman of the joint unions of the ABSU and its ASUU chairman,
George Chima who confirmed the suspension, said the staff have reached an
agreement with the state government to resolve other outstanding differences.

He said the unions have accepted the conditions given by the
state government, which he said were favourable to them, while the modalities
for the payment of the outstanding arrears of salaries from 2008 are being
worked out.

ABSU, along with other state owned universities in the South
East, had embarked on an indefinite strike to press for parity in salaries with
their counterparts in the federal universities following an agreement between
the federal government and the unions to pay an enhanced salary structure for
university workers.

The Chief Press Secretary to Abia State governor,Theodore A
Orji, Kingsly Emereuwa also confirmed that the agreement that led to the
suspension of the strike has been signed but he did not give details.

The last meeting between the striking staff and state officials
last month ended with Mr Orji threatening to sack the lecturers if they refused
to return to work. He said all those dissatisfied with the conditions of
service at the institutionS should quit and not continue to frustrate efforts
of his government.

Making concessions

The governor, who said federal institutions are there for
lecturers who feel they can no longer stay in ABSU, called on the school’s
staff to make concessions towards resolving the strike in the interest of the
students.

The governor said he has promised to pay 100% of the agreement
reached by the unions with effect from January next year.

As part of efforts to resolve the impasse, participants at the
meeting, including parents, students and the university management arrived at
the conclusion that the striking staff should call off the strike and accept
the state government’s offer.

They equally agreed that the new wage increase will require an
increase in fees paid by students, but it will be minimal so that the parents
can afford it.

The return to work by the staff unions will put pressure on their colleagues
in other states institutions in the East to follow suit.