The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has formally communicated its rejection of the Federal Government’s offer, as its nationwide industrial action enters the 16th day.
ASUU accused the Federal Government of failing to fulfill part of the demands tabled by the Union within its set two-week deadline which lapses today, Wednesday August 30.
The union, after its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Sunday, August 13, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action, to press home its demand for the implementation of previous agreement dating back to 2009.
Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, in a statement dated August 29 expressed optimism that the union’s demands would “receive a positive response which will bring an end to the dispute.”
Responding to the alleged counter-offer letter presented to the Federal Government’s team, Ogunyemi who dismissed the Minsiter’s statement, argued that there was nothing counter in the letter communicated to government.
Ogunyemi, who declined to mention any specific promise made by the Federal Government during the closed-door negotiation held in Abuja, frowned at the purported insincerity of the government’s negotiating team towards fulfilling the promises made at its own instance.
“They themselves suggested the timeline, so we are waiting for them,” the ASUU President said via telephone, with BusinessDay.
Giving an update on the negotiation, Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, who spoke barely two hours after the aborted meeting scheduled to hold in his office, confirmed receipt of ASUU’s letter and the need to present the letter to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) tomorrow, 30th August, 2017.
“The government as you know, has made an offer to ASUU through the Ministry of Education, and late yesterday (Monday), ASUU got back to us with their counter offer.
“By then, this meeting had been scheduled and the government side needed to deliberate on their counter offer before we can have a reconciliation meeting to further discuss areas of disagreement.
“That is the position right now. We are holding a government side meeting, while the Minister of Education is also holding meetings and we will meet later today (yesterday) and formalise our position.
“Tomorrow is Federal Executive Council meeting and there are aspects that we will need FEC approval to go on with.
“Thereafter, we will meet with the ASUU team, either tomorrow evening, or Thursday morning, which ever will be more convenient,” Ngige assured.
The union had in a statement, charged the Federal Government to expedite action in addressing the “issues in the best interest of the Nigerian University System and for the overall development of the country,” Ogunyemi said.
The statement read: “Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were forced to proceed on indefinite, comprehensive and total strike action on Sunday 13th August, 2017 following government failure to implement issues on which understanding was reached during the suspended warning strike of November 2016.
“We have since held talks with representatives of government and consulted our members nationwide, on steps to be taken to immediately resolve the lingering crisis. Among issues in the dispute are registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO) fractionalisation of salaries in federal universities and gross under-funding/non-funding of state universities, and arrears and implementation of Earned Academic Allowance.
“Other issues are release of fund for revitalization of public universities as spelt out in the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding, guidelines for retirement benefits of professors, in line with the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, Treasury Single Account (TSA) and withdrawal of support for universities staff primary schools.
“On Thursday, we met with officials of the Ministry of Education and Labour and Employment, where it was agreed that the union should consult and ‘revert back to government’.
“Following due consultations, we have collated the views of our members on the offers from government in dispute, in the letter of 16th August, 2017. These views were submitted to the Federal Government, vide our letter dated 28th August 2017.
“As we await the Federal Government’s action on our letter, we hope that it would not be long before we receive a positive response which will bring an end to the dispute.
“Meanwhile, we thank all Nigerians, particularly our students (and their parents) and the media for their understanding so far, in the need to speedily address the issues in the best interest of the Nigerian University System and for the overall development of the country,” Ogunyemi stated.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
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