The conciliatory meeting between Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has ended as the striking lecturers pronounced conditional suspension of the five weeks old industrial action.
To this end, the Union mandated all its members across the country to resume duty as from Tuesday, 20th September, 2017.
‘Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President who announced the Union’s position at a press briefing held after over five hours negotiation, threatened that the Union will not hesitate to take appropriate action if Federal Government fails to implement the agreement on or before the October ending timeline.
According to him, major items of the 2013 MoU include: fund for revitalization of the university system, amounting toN1.3 trillion in 6 years, based on yearly release of N220 billion, starting with N200 billion in 2013; dedicated revitalization account to be opened by FGN with CBN to warehouse the fund; central Monitoring Committee to monitor the implementation of the revitalization of the universities; payment of outstanding balance of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) after verification of the level of payment made from the initial of N30 billion and engagement of the services of public universities in special consultancy as a way of boosting IGR of the universities.
“After an elaborate and extensive consultation process, the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU has agreed to conditionally suspend the ongoing action, taking into cognizance that major proposals from government to address the contending issues in the strike action has a deadline of the end of October, 2017.
“All members of ASUU are to resume work after their branch congresses tomorrow, 19th September, 2017. However, ASUU will not hesitate to review its position should government reneges on the signed Memorandum of Action.
“As a Union of intellectuals, ASUU shall not relent in confronting all human and artificial barriers to a transformed university education for the betterment of Nigerians and our dear Nation. For us, this may be a life-time project. We owe it to prosperity, for the sake of our children and their children’s children,” Ogunyemi said.
The negotiation chaired by Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment was attended by Ita Enang, Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly (Senate); Sunny Echonu, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education; Ayuba Wabba, NLC President and other stakeholders.
Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment who chaired the meeting which lasted for about five hours, expressed optimism that the negotiation which started since 16th August, 2017, will be suspended in the national interest.
“Hopefully the end of deliberations on this particular matter on the ASUU strike. We’ve made a lot of progress and the grey areas we have considerably dealt with them.
“For ASUU it is called memorandum of action because they don’t want promises without implementation.
This is the document that distilled from various conciliations we did starting from 17th of August,” Ngige said.
He explained that the parties unanimously agreed on some many issues in the spirit of give and take, including: National Universities Pension Management Company; pension for professors, salary shortfalls; funding for revitalization of public universities and the issue of Earned Academic Allowances, implementation of the judgement of the National Industrial Court on Staff School (primary segment), among others.
Ngige further explained that the union agreed to the exemption offered by the government regarding the issue of TSA, which include the issue of grants, endowment fund as well as salary short fall which he said is already being implemented by government.
Despite the dwindling revenue from oil which account for 92 percent of the Nigeria’s revenue, he assured that Federal Government will do all within its powers to fulfill the financial obligations as contained in the memorandum of action signed by both parties.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has commenced implementation of the salary shortfalls, adding that Federal Ministry of Education will intervene and resolve other issuee on the audit queries.
The Minister also urged ASUU to give position paper on its findings on the issues relating to their members at the State level, with the view to persuade State Governments to improve funding of their universities.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
