The Federal Government, yesterday, said  it was withdrawing the ultimatum given to striking university lecturers to resume or be sacked following appeals from well-meaning Nigerians and substantial compliance with the directive by some members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

According to the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN had confirmed that a sum of two hundred billion Naira agreed with ASUU at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan on the 5th of November, 2013 had been fully paid into a Revitalization of Universities Infrastructure Account.

Addressing journalists, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe who showed to newsmen the CBN letter which was signed by the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Tunde Lemo and addressed to the Accountant General of the Federation, confirmed that the total sum of two hundred billion Naira was the balance in the account as required.

Okupe who noted that what the federal government was interested in how to resolve the six month old crisis in a peaceful manner for the overall interest of all concerned, said, “right now, the issue of ultimatum is not a matter for discussion anymore. There has been substantial compliance nationwide. If I say you must return to work on the 9th and 70% of the people that I am talking to have returned to work, that is substantial compliance.”

Meanwhile, (ASUU) yesterday, declared a three day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention in the protracted dispute between the Federal Government and the union.

The decision to embark on spiritual intervention came during the union’s congress held at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan.

The congress which was presided over by the Chairman of UI chapter of ASUU, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, stressed the need for God to help Nigerian leaders to do the needful and document the resolutions of their meeting with the President.

The congress which expressed optimism that the strike would end soon listed three prayer points to include: “the need for God to touch the heart of the Federal Government to be committed towards funding public education and develop the nation.

They also asked God to protect the leadership of ASUU as they travel and that the purpose of the strike is actualized by placing universities in the league of world class institutions.”

Speaking after the congress, Dr. Ajiboye said the union did not need newspaper confirmation from the President that N200billion has been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He said it was impossible for anybody who had not opened an account with a bank to request the bank for a balance.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has summoned all pro-chancellors and vice chancellors of federal and state universities to a meeting in Abuja tomorrow following the adamant posture of some of the university lecturers to the ultimatum handed down by the Federal Government.

Although, authorities of some universities had responded to the Federal Government’s directive and ordered their staff and students to resume for normal academic activities, majority of the universities and lecturers were yet to comply with the directive.

The meeting at the instance of the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, is slated for today, Wednesday, December 11, 2013 and would be held at the National Universities Commission (NUC) auditorium, a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of NUC said.

According to the statement, “the vice chancellors are to come to the meeting with a list of their prioritised projects based on the Needs Assessment Report for funding. In addition, vice chancellors of state universities must come along with their account details.”

The members of the IMC are the Minister of Education; Executive Secretary of NUC, Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund); representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Committee of Vice Chancellors, Committee of Pro-Chancellors, ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Academic Staff Union of Non-Universities (NASU) with the Director, Tertiary in the Federal Ministry of Education as Secretary.

Federal Government had, last week, issued a directive to governing councils and vice chancellors in all the public universities to re-open the institutions on December 9, with a sack threat to any defaulting lecturer.

The development had infuriated the striking lecturers who insisted that they were ready to be sacked en masse and that they would not return to classrooms unless their fresh conditions were met. These include settling of their four months salary arrears and disbursement of the N200 billion intervention fund and harmonising as well as signing the Memorandum of Understanding on agreement reached with President Goodluck Jonathan.

The proposed meeting with the pro-chancellors and vice chancellors was to ensure that all the federal universities enforce the directive of the government.

It was not clear whether the meeting was called to disburse the N200 billion the government said it had deposited in an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which ASUU was insisting must be communicated to it formally.

President of ASUU, Dr Nasir Fagge Isa, said the lecturers were not moved by the N200 billion that the Federal Government announced that it had deposited with the CBN.

Protest by Ogoni youths who marked the World Human Rights Day by blocking East-West Road, to draw attention of the Federal Government to the non-implementaton of the UNEP report, yesterday.