The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has
threatened to embark on a nationwide strike to press home
its demands for the implementation of its 2009 agreement
with the Federal Government.
The ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Prof. Olusoji Sowande,
said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Sowande said that the union was planning to toe this part
after several efforts to ensure that the government address
the pending demands, proved abortive.
He said that the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement, Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) on funding of state universities,
breaches of the conditions of service and re-negotiation of
t
he agreement, were still pending.
The coordinator also mentioned other demands like the
exclusion of Nigerian universities from Pension Management
Company and non-release of NEEDS Assessment
Intervention Fund.
He said that funding of state universities, earned academic
allowance and renegotiation of the agreement were parts of
the outstanding issues.
Sowande recalled that the union had embarked on strike in
2012 and 2013 as part of the efforts to make the government
implement the agreement, adding that the issues remained
unresolved.
He said that the 2009 agreement provided for a periodic
review after every three years which had not been done.
“The review of the agreement should have been undertaken
in 2012 and 2015 but that did not happen.
“The implication is that our union has shown enough
patriotism and understanding on these matters in the last
four years.
“We are perplexed and disappointed that both the Federal and
State Governments are not responding to our consistent
appeals to bring about genuine transformation in the
education sector, ‘’ he said.
According to him, embarking on strike has never been a
favourable choice as the Students and ASUU members have
always suffered the pains more.
“It is unfortunate that the only language government appears
to respect and listens to is that of industrial action like
strike,”he said .
The don said that the National officers of the union had met
with the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on
May 10 and tabled ten-point demand.
He said that the minister had promised that the issues would
be resolved within two weeks but nothing had been done till
now.
Sowande said that based on MOU signed in November 2013,
“Nigerian universities requires N1.3 trillion to revitalise the
system’’, adding that the government was already in arrears
of N605 billion as at the third quarter of 2016.
He said that the government had refused to release N128
billion and N250 billion respectively for the earned academic
allowance of three years after the MoU was signed.
“In order to forestall this avoidable crisis, we appeal to all
genuinely progressive individuals and groups to prevail on
both the Federal and State Governments to commence
release of funds for the listed purposes.
“This is to arrest the brewing and potentially combustible
situation in the Nigerian university system before it
degenerated into a serious conflagration,” he said.
threatened to embark on a nationwide strike to press home
its demands for the implementation of its 2009 agreement
with the Federal Government.
The ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Prof. Olusoji Sowande,
said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Sowande said that the union was planning to toe this part
after several efforts to ensure that the government address
the pending demands, proved abortive.
He said that the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement, Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) on funding of state universities,
breaches of the conditions of service and re-negotiation of
t
The coordinator also mentioned other demands like the
exclusion of Nigerian universities from Pension Management
Company and non-release of NEEDS Assessment
Intervention Fund.
He said that funding of state universities, earned academic
allowance and renegotiation of the agreement were parts of
the outstanding issues.
Sowande recalled that the union had embarked on strike in
2012 and 2013 as part of the efforts to make the government
implement the agreement, adding that the issues remained
unresolved.
He said that the 2009 agreement provided for a periodic
review after every three years which had not been done.
“The review of the agreement should have been undertaken
in 2012 and 2015 but that did not happen.
“The implication is that our union has shown enough
patriotism and understanding on these matters in the last
four years.
“We are perplexed and disappointed that both the Federal and
State Governments are not responding to our consistent
appeals to bring about genuine transformation in the
education sector, ‘’ he said.
According to him, embarking on strike has never been a
favourable choice as the Students and ASUU members have
always suffered the pains more.
“It is unfortunate that the only language government appears
to respect and listens to is that of industrial action like
strike,”he said .
The don said that the National officers of the union had met
with the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on
May 10 and tabled ten-point demand.
He said that the minister had promised that the issues would
be resolved within two weeks but nothing had been done till
now.
Sowande said that based on MOU signed in November 2013,
“Nigerian universities requires N1.3 trillion to revitalise the
system’’, adding that the government was already in arrears
of N605 billion as at the third quarter of 2016.
He said that the government had refused to release N128
billion and N250 billion respectively for the earned academic
allowance of three years after the MoU was signed.
“In order to forestall this avoidable crisis, we appeal to all
genuinely progressive individuals and groups to prevail on
both the Federal and State Governments to commence
release of funds for the listed purposes.
“This is to arrest the brewing and potentially combustible
situation in the Nigerian university system before it
degenerated into a serious conflagration,” he said.
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