The meeting between the Nigeria  Senate and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) aimed at resolving the crisis in the ivory towers ended in a stalemate tonight as both parties could not reach a common ground.

It was the second time in one week that the meeting would end without a resolution of the issues  that led to ongoing one week warning strike. The meeting ended at about 10pm.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Education, Senator Jibrin Barau, who briefed journalists at the end of the marathon meeting,  said both parties have agreed to some of the issues raised except one which borders on their earned allowances, adding that they (ASUU) are going to hold consultations with their members on the way forward.

“You can see we have spent about eight hours in this very important meeting. We have deliberated and thank God we have dealt with all the issues and we have agreed on all the issues except one.

“We have adjourned to make consultations, every member of the meeting will get back to his constituency and report to it what transpired. At a later date we will reconvene to thrash out the remaining issues.

“It is about the earned allowances that needs to be paid the university lecturers, the government due to the paucity of funds proposed a certain amount of money but the ASUU leaders insisted that the money was inadequate. He will be going back to their members to report to them and make consultations and later get back to us.

“But we do hope they come up with good news that they have accepted the government offers, ” Barau said

However, efforts to speak  with the ASUU team to hear their own side of the story proved abortive as their leaders  refused to speak with journalists covering the meeting.