The four hour negotiation between Federal Government and striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held on Monday was deadlocked, despite earlier assurances from President Muhammadu Buhari to end the ongoing nationwide strike.
Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment who spoke on the outcome of the negotiation, however discloser that cumulative sum of N163 billion has been released by the present administration.
“We did not take a long time than we anticipated. We have other commitments but the important thing is that we have made substantial progress.
“We have reached some agreements in seven areas. Most of the issues have been resolved but ASUU will need to consult its members and come with what they think. If you aggregate the total amount of money involved, it is beyond N50 billion.
“We are paying in several compartments and these are debt from 2009 to 2012. We have started defraying the earned allowances there and released N15.4 billion for shortfall in the payment of salaries.
“Today we have agreed to fund revitalization. Government has released from TETFUND account about N163 billion. The meeting will reconvene at the instance of ASUU.
“Federal Government is not weak in the negotiation. The strike is not slipping out of our hands,” Ngige told Labour Correspondents in response to the earlier commitment that the President has “directed me to pass the night here until all issues have kept our children away from school are resolved ad strike called off.”
However in his remarks, Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President who noted that the industrial action continues, noted that the strike would be suspended if Federal Government can release N50 billion reactivate revitalization fund.
“We have not suspended the strike, the discussion will continue at a later date. We are going back to our members for further consultation.
“Federal Government gave us reaction to our proposals but there were still grey areas that we are trying to sort out.
“Before the strike can be suspended, the most critical area that Federal Government must address is revitalization. It is central to our academic work, unless that area is addressed, our members will still have issues.
“We are not demanding for N50 billion, we are saying that the minimum that Federal Government can release to reactivate revitalization fund is N50 billion,” the ASUU President explained.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
