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Tag: Academic Staff Union of Universities

  • Strike: We’re not aware of FG N15.89bn payment to varsities – ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it has not been briefed on the alleged payment of N15.89 billion to universities by the Federal Government, two months after it embarked on strike.

    The union’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

    The unionist was reacting to reports that the Federal Government had on Dec. 31, 2018, released N15.89 billion to universities.

    The report stated that the fund was for the payment of shortfall in salaries of universities.

    “Well someone actually drew my attention to that newspaper report. I have not received any formal letter from Federal Government, conveying such information to us.

    Read also: N15.89b injection to stop ASUU strike

    “The only information I got from the Minister of Labour this afternoon when we spoke was that they have done something concerning our demands; what they have done, I do not know.

    “The other thing he told me was that there is going to be a meeting between us (ASUU) and government on Monday.

    “It is only when we get to the meeting that we will be able to know what government has done and if it is okay by us, then we will convey same to our members who will now take the next line of action,” he said.

    Recall that members of the union had, on Nov. 4, 2018, embarked on what they had described as ‘comprehensive, total and indefinite nationwide strike’ to press home their demands.

    The striking lecturers were protesting  against alleged non-implementation of agreements they entered into with the Federal Government in 2013 and 2017.

    They were also agitating the poor welfare, poor funding, and general decay in education  infrastructure, among others.

    Since the commencement of the strike, members of the union had met with the Federal Government six times, to find a way forward to the issues, all ending in a deadlock. (NAN).

  • Who cares about ASUU, ASUP strike?

    In the unlikely event that the representatives of the federal government is able to reach an agreement with the striking lecturers in public universities and polytechnics, at the next meetings fixed for early next year,  the campuses  will remain closed nationwide for a long time to come.

    The lecturers have indicated that they are not ready to budge unless the federal government agrees and commence the implementation of the memorandum of understanding dating back to 2009 and 2013 for Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and 2016 with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP).

    Despite warning strikes by the unions, their demands were not taken seriously enough until they made good their threats to stay away from classrooms and leave the students with the disrupted academic sessions.

    All meetings held so far between government and ASUU officials have ended in deadlock with both sides accusing each other of one thing or the other.

    According to ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, the federal government has not shown clear commitment in resolving all the affected issues and appears to have adopted the ‘keep-them-talking’ strategy.

    “Through its press interactions, government through its representatives had falsely raised the hope of the Nigerian public on the state of discussion with our union. Our expectation from a very responsive and sincere government is that by now, all outstanding issues would have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties. Unfortunately, government is yet to show sincerity in addressing the problem,” Ogunyemi stated.

    Contrary to ASUU’s claim, the Minister of Labour is hopeful that the strike will soon be called off based on consideration of some of the union’s demands, including the submission of the union’s list of outstanding payments, and the identification of some areas in the universities in need of revitalisation as contained in the signed 2009 agreement.

    The negotiation with the ASUP is not different with another meeting scheduled for January 10 after an earlier inconclusive one.

    While the unresolved issues predate the current administration, it is unfortunate that the situation has degenerated to the present state where there is no guarantee of how soon an agreement will be reached to save the universities and polytechnics from further deterioration.

    Despite claims of education being a major focus of successive administrations since 1999, allocations to the sector has not matched the huge requirements of the sector. Necessary facilities and resources for higher education have not been provided, while basic payments for lecturers have been denied them.

    The cumulative effect is of years of neglect and poor teaching is that the quality of graduates from our tertiary institutions has continued to deteriorate. More than ever before, graduates are becoming unemployable and can’t justify the certificate they get on graduation.

    Everything necessary must be done to reverse the shameful slide in the quality of education at all levels in the country. The present administration must show more commitment to honour previous agreements with the lecturers and ensure a quick resolution of the deadlock.

    Even if it cannot pay all the outstanding payments, it must not ignore the legitimate demands of the lecturers who deserve better conditions of service to be able to effectively discharge their crucial duties.

  • Year of strikes

    It was a year of strikes in the sector. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics are on indefinite strike. Just last week, the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) suspended its two month industrial action. Yesterday, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) ended its three-day warning strike. The unions are blaming the government for the incessant strikes. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA report.

    It was the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that first went on an indefinite strike in November; a month later,  the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) followed suit.

    The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) suspended its two-month strike last week; the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) ended its three-day warning strike yesterday. SSANU is, however, still bent on taking the government on in January.

    Declaring the strike at ASUU-NEC meeting at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), the union accused the government of not keeping to the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties.

    But there was a ray of hope last week following the Federal Government’s pronouncement that it would reach a compromise with ASUU this week.

    Unfortunately, no agreement was arrived at when the two parties met on Monday as ASUU was reported to have stormed out of the meeting without addressing the media.

    Its National President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said though the union did not address media on Monday, but it did not storm out of the meeting, adding that the union simply felt there was nothing to tell the media since no compromise was reached.

    “We found out (at the meeting) that they refused to fulfill their promises again,” Ogunyemi told The Nation on phone.

    “They promised to get back to us on updates but they failed to do that.

    “So, the strike continues!

    “Nothing shall prevail against our position. We told them (government) they pushed us into this. We asked them what  we  were going to tell our members, the same old story? That was why we couldn’t tell the media anything (on Monday).”

    On Tuesday, December 11, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) also toed ASUU’s path.

    Announcing an indefinite strike a day earlier, during its NEC meeting at the Yaba College of Technology Lagos, ASUP insisted on the need to resume the strike it suspended last year to press home its 10-point demand.

    Like its sister unions, ASUP’s claims are hinged on the government’s inability to implement the NEEDS Assessment Report; non-release of Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) 15; migration arrears of lower cadre; non-payment of union check off dues; and non-payment of members’ salaries in state institutions, to mention but a few.

    Its National President, Comrade Usman Dutse, told The Nation on phone that the union was tired of the government’s pranks, noting that what members wanted was action and not mere talks.

    “Don’t allow anybody to deceive you that we have suspended our strike. The strike is still in full swing,” Dutse said.

    He continued: “We have had lots of these promises made and broken in the past. We have told the government we need to see some results first before getting back to our members to deliberate whether to call it off or not.

    “We are not going to base our decision (to suspend strike) on government reports any longer. We have had enough. Governments have not been sincere. We need some commitment from government too. After that, we can reconvene. That is all I have to say.”

    A week ago, COEASU suspended its two-month-old strike following a two-day meeting in Abuja.

    According to a communiqué made available to our reporter and signed by the union National President and Secretary Comrades  Nuhu Ogirima and Taiwo Olayanju, the Extended National Executive Council (ENEC) of the union would reconvene in January ending to appraise the situation and see if governments would walk their talk.

    Some of the issues in the communiqué include: Renegotiation of Federal Government/COEASU 2010 agreement; Peculiar Earned Academic Allowances; promotion arrears and shortfall in personnel allocation; autonomy for colleges of education to award degrees; discrimination of colleges of education by Tertiary Education trust Fund (TETFund).

    Others are: non-payment of salaries by some state-owned colleges of education; implementation of consequential effect of CONTISS 15 on lower cadre; reverting to status quo with respect to outsourced services; and implementation of the Needs Assessment Report.

    Three other university unions – Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC) – may also begin a showdown with the government as from next year.

    SSANU has given the government a taste of what to expect next year with its  three-day warning strike.

    The three unions are threatening  the government over its non-implementation of the 2009 Agreement, as well as memoranda of terms of settlement. The unions are also asking for the reinstatement of members in university staff schools; career progression for technologists on CONTISS 14 and 15; and usurpation of non-teaching career position by academic staff.

    The unions under their JAC suspended their three-month last March, to give the government the benefit of the doubt.

    Explaining what led to the strike, Chairman of JAC Comrade Sam Ugwoke said the unions were angered by the government’s cold shoulder, despite JAC’s repeated threats to engage the government in a showdown over the N23 billion Earned Academic Allowance (AAE), which the unions said were skewed to favour a sister union.

    Ugwoke, who is SSANU National President, however, lamented that it was not until JAC began a nationwide strike that government invited them to a roundtable to agree on a ceasefire.

    “We waited patiently for the consummation of the Memoranda of Understanding, to no avail. Clearly observing that a segment of the university system was being favoured to our detriment, we were forced to resume our suspended strike on 4th of December, 2017,” Ugwoke recalled while announcing the suspension in March.

    He continued: “A sad statement of the government’s’ shoddy response to industrial conflicts and labour issues generally manifested, as it was only after two weeks of the strike action and having given a clear two weeks’ notice to resume strike, (making a month), before government decided to honour us with a meeting, precisely on December 19, 2018.”

    Despite the suspension of the strike however, the unions only realised that government has merely sold them a dummy, and not standing by its words.

    Chairman of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) SSANU  Comrade Lekan Idiat lamented the government’s inconsistencies, saying the public would not blame them once members were forced to down tools.

    “Currently, SSANU has commenced a three-day warning strike which began yesterday,” Idiat told our reporter on phone on Tuesday.

    “Remember that JAC suspended the strike based on certain understanding with government. But we were all shocked when government announced through the media that certain amount has been paid into SSANU account as EAA without a any alert on our phones.

    “Do not also forget that the issues of Earned Academic Allowance, and that of our members being disengaged from staff schools, are still there despite that we won the case at the National Industrial Court last year.   This is the thrust of our warning strike. After, NEC will convey and decide the next line of action.”

  • UNILAG faults ASUU on Babalakin

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has faulted claims by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) about the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin going beyond his powers.

    A statement signed by the university’s Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Mr Oladejo Azeez, noted that Babalakin was right in the actions he took in some specific instances that ASUU called him out on.

    One of them was the reinstatement of the Director of Sports, Dr Cecilia Arinze, who had been recommended for dismissal by the Senate of the university.

    The statement reads: “With reference to the reinstatement of the Director of Sports, please be informed that a member of staff of the institution forwarded a petition to the University Governing Council. This petition, like others of its kind, was reviewed and debated upon by members of the Council. It was discovered after careful deliberations that the University Senate had cleared the Director of Sports, Dr.Cecilia Arinze of nine  out of 11 allegations levelled against her.

    “Council also discovered that the 10th allegation against Dr. Arinze was frivolous and that the only one  remaining allegation was insufficient to dismiss a staff of the University who had put in 30 years of service. Based on the foregoing, council decided to clear the Director of Sports of the allegations levelled against her.”

    The statement also noted that Babalakin would not be the first Pro-Chancellor and chairman of Council to set up meetings with the Senate and other members of staff, noting that the late Deacon Gamaliel Onosode and Chief Afe Babalola both did so while they served in the same position.

    “A former Pro Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, held a meeting of such nature with members of the Senate when he was appointed Pro Chancellor of the Institution. The Minutes of Senate Meeting of that day serves as evidence that the allegation is untrue. Another former Pro Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Late Deacon Gamaliel Offoritsenere Onosode, also held a meeting with Senate members in the University Senate Chamber.

    “In conclusion, we want to place it on record that the Governing Council of the University of Lagos led by Dr Olawale Bolanle Babalakin, SAN, has consistently upheld laws and traditions of the University,” the statement reads.

  • No regrets for disrupting anti-corruption programme – ASUU

    Dr Kasim Umaru, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter says the union has no regret for disrupting Anti Corruption event in the institution.

    The New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union led by Umaru prevented Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon Rtd and former Education Minister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili from speaking at the event.

    The ASUU Chairman told NAN in a telephone interview on Wednesday that the union disrupted the programme because of the ongoing strike.

    He said such magnitude of programme could not hold in the institution because lecturers were also involved in the event.

    “Those eminent personalities for the programme are all aware of our plight and did nothing, we disrupted the event because we are on strike,” he said.

    The convener of the event and National Coordinator of African Initiative Against Corruption and Exam Malpractice AFICEM, Dr Francis Abioye regretted the action of the ASUU saying they erred by disrupting the event.

    Abioye said the management of the university had earlier approved the institution’s auditorium as venue for the anti corruption programme.

    He said the programme was not an academic event, but was organized to educate Nigerians especially students against corruption and related cases.

    Abioye, who is also the General Manager, Zoology Garden in Owerri, urged the Federal Government to fund education, saying that Nigeria could not progress without a stable educational system.

    In his remarks, the university Student Union Government (SUG), President, Mr Chizurum Anabaronye said the development was regrettable and disappointing.

    “It is unfortunate because students would have benefited immensely in the programme considering the personalities involved in the programme.

    “Wole Soyinka is a person every student wants to see and the only opportunity to hear him speak was disrupted, we mobilized the students for the event but later communicated to them on the development,” he said.

    One of the facilitators and Osun High Court Judge, Justice Oloyode Folahanmi, who also spoke to NAN said AFICEM planned to celebrate the 2018 anti corruption day with a lecture on the `Benefits of Examination Ethics’ which was disrupted.

    “The Noble Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, other eminent persons and myself were to speak to Nigerian students on the need to abide by the rules guiding examination ethics.

    “We are partners in progress, we feel the plight of ASUU and we want to fix Nigerian problem so it was wrong to disrupt the programme.

    While calling on FG to address the demands of ASUU, Folahanmi said the reason for targeting students was because of the belief that quest for societal regeneration must begin with the youths. (NAN)

  • Falana to FG: It is unlawful to stop salaries of striking ASUU members

    Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the federal government to withdraw its directive stopping the salaries and allowances of the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    Falana said the directive was not justified in law.

    The federal government had last week directed the Vice Chancellors of all federal universities in the country to apply Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Amendment Act by seizing the salaries and allowances of the striking members  of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    But Falana, in a statement issued in Lagos on Momday titled, “Why “no work no pay” rule is never applied to striking employees contended that the directive could not be justified in law on  the grounds that only the governing councils of the affected institutions are empowered by the relevant laws to subject the academic staff to any form of disciplinary action.

    He also argued that the salaries and allowances of striking lecturers could  not be seized without due process.

    Rather, Falana advised the federal and state governments to accelerate the ongoing negotiations  between the authorities and the ASUU so that the striking  lecturers could return to the classrooms as soon as  possible.

     He disagreed with the claims of the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige reported to have said  that until section 43 of the  Trade Disputes Amendment Act which disentitles employees to payment of salaries and allowances  during strikes “is expunged or repealed through legislative process by the  National Assembly, it remains not just applicable but a  point of law for compliance by all citizens of  Nigeria.”

    Falana wondered why the minister  has not challenged the  decisions of the Supreme Court which he cited and which held  that it is the exclusive powers of the Governing Council of  every university to discipline lecturers whose employment enjoys statutory flavour.

    He maintained that the “no work no pay” policy has always been put in abeyance to ensure the effective resolution of the subject matter of any industrial action.

     “Therefore, since the federal  government has  endorsed the payment of salaries and  allowances of striking lecturers the controversial directive

    to the Vice Chancellors of all federal universities ought to  be immediately withdrawn”, he said.

    Falana said it was curious why the minister did not disclose that the federal government has always put the law aside in a bit to end strikes embarked upon by workers  in the public service.

    According to him, “a clause is usually inserted in collective agreements that employees who had  taken part in an industrial action would not be damnified in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.

    “The practice was  judicially endorsed  in the case of Senior Staff  Association of Nigerian Universities v Federal Government of  Nigeria (unreported suit no  NIC/8/2004 whose judgment was  delivered on May 8, 2007)  where the National Industrial  Court held  that ” …it is perfectly lawful for an  employer to choose to dispense with the ‘no work no  pay’ rule.

    “In other words, strike pay is lawful if an employer chooses to pay same and not to penalise the strikers in any other way for the strike.

    “It is lawful for employees to agree with their employer that wages will be paid and no other detriment suffered even when strike actions are embarked upon”, he contended.

    “With particular reference to strikes by university lecturers the federal government has always entered into Collective Agreements with ASUU  to the effect that “nobody shall be victimised in any way whatsoever for his/her role in the process leading to these resolutions and Agreement”.

    “The clause was inserted in the 1992, 2009 and 2013 Collective Agreements which were freely signed by the representatives of the federal and state governments as well as ASUU”, he recalled.

  • A road well travelled

    In May 2013, I wrote a two-part series titled “ASUU and the politics of emotion.” The articles were written against the backdrop of the then over seven months strike embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Regarding ASUU, it appears governments never learn lessons – or they do but deliberately choose to ignore – from the past which is why they make the same mistakes over again about the tertiary education sector. Most often, they pander to the emotion because emotions are irrational and lacking in facts.

    The prolonged ASUU strike of 1993/94 which led to the loss of an entire academic session will be a good starting point. That strike was a strike like no other because it lasted for close to a year. The then federal military government did all within its powers to break the will power of ASUU including proscription. Part of its strategy was the determination to enforce the no-work, no-pay rule. Majority of ASUU members were caught pants down by this policy because it led to job losses, unwarranted dismissals, forced evictions from official residences and other arm twisting methods. Those that survived learned a timely lesson: devise other legitimate means of survival. Some became research consultants to international/multilateral organisations while others left Nigeria for greater opportunities abroad. The country lost some of its brightest minds as a result of fallouts from that strike

    So, you can understand my concern when the federal government, last week, invoked the no-work, no-pay rule against ASUU. Without holding brief for ASUU, one thing should crystal clear by now; the best way to deal with ASUU – from experience – is through constructive engagement and continuous negotiations. Threats and emotional strategies may have worked in the past, it may not work now. ASUU members have even taken the bold step of appealing to students, their parents and critical stakeholders that their fight is not about salaries and allowances alone, but against the underbelly and very soul of Nigeria’s public university system especially over the poor funding of public universities. Experience should have shown that dealing with ASUU members is totally different from dealing with labour leaders.

    Before it was rescinded days later, an ill-conceived directive came from the federal government directing the vice-chancellors of public universities and inter-varsity centres to enforce no-work-no-pay rule on the lecturers who are on strike. I believe a bird would have whispered in the ears of those in authority that this rule cannot work for obvious reasons. The most vocal critic of the rule is Mr. Femi Falana SAN who provided the legal explanations to why it won’t work.

    The now rescinded directive was communicated to universities in a memo dated November 29 by the National Universities Commission to universities’ VCs. The memo, which was signed by the Director, Research, Information and Technology, Dr. S. B Ramon-Yusuf stated that payment of salaries from any other sources would be viewed as violation of extant rules and government’s directive.

    It partly read, “In view of the current Industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Federal Government has directed that there shall be no payment of any form of salaries and allowances to the staff on strike in federal and inter-varsity centres.

    “Consequently, I am to direct vice-chancellors to apply the “No-work-no-pay” rule. However, universities and inter-varsity centres are to pay salaries and allowances to non-teaching staff. All Vice-Chancellors and Directors of Centers should note that the salaries to staff on strike from whatever source of funds shall be viewed as violation of extant rules and directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

    Reactions to the memo were swift. Even before Mr. Falana provided the legal angle, the chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Dr. Deji Omole fired the first salvo stating that it was shameful for the federal government to owe lecturers unpaid salaries and allowances and still want them to continue to work while the Presidency and the National Assembly members feed fat on the wealth of the nation.

    He said a government that prides itself as having integrity should honour agreements reached with the union instead of resulting to harassment and intimidation of union members on a patriotic struggle to save public education in the country. Omole noted that the directive would fuel the struggle, adding that the union members had resolved to get proper education for the children of average Nigerians. He said military government tried unsuccessfully to intimidate the collective will of Nigerian masses, adding that members of the union had resolved to fight for the future of the country.

    From the legal standpoint, Femi Falana, said the “no work, no pay” policy is not applicable to members of ASUU who are currently on strike. He said the federal government acting through the National Universities Commission (NUC) lacks the powers to direct vice-chancellors to seize the salaries and allowances of striking lecturers. He noted that the government was not properly advised for “resorting to a desperate measure of not paying the workers.”

    According to Mr. Falana, the federal government referred to “extant rules” to justify the ‘no work, no pay’ policy; a directive anchored on section 43 (1) of the Trade Disputes Act which provides that “any worker who takes part in a strike shall not be entitled to any wages or other remuneration for the period of the strike.”

    “Otherwise, it would have realised that even under the defunct military junta the application of ‘no work no pay’ rule, threat to eject lecturers living in official quarters, promulgation of a decree which made strike in schools a treasonable offence and the proscription of ASUU did not collapse any of the strikes called by ASUU,” he said.

    He pointed out that the latest strike has complied with the provisions of section 31 (6) of the Trade Disputes (Amendment) Act, 2005, stressing that the law does not punish acts which are lawful in any democratic society. To this end, section 43(1) of the Trade Disputes Act cannot be invoked to justify the seizure of the salaries and allowances of members of the ASUU who have decided to participate in an industrial action that is legal in every material particular.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, section 31 (7) of the Trade Disputes Amendment Act provides that anyone who takes part in an illegal strike commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine of N10,000 or six months imprisonment or to both fine and imprisonment,” Mr. Falana said.

    He cited the University of Ilorin case where the appointments of 49 lecturers were terminated on the grounds that they had taken part in the ASUU strike of 2001.”In setting aside the termination of the appointments, the federal high court held that the appellants were entitled to their salaries and allowances. Convinced that section 43 (1) of the Trade Disputes Act is self-executory, the Court of Appeal held that the order for the reinstatement of the respondents and for payment of their salaries and allowances when they were on strike was not only illegal but inequitable…the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Court of Appeal and confirmed the order of the federal high court for the reinstatement of the appellants and payment of their salaries and allowances.

    The implication of the judgment, according to the senior advocate, is that a university lecturer “whose employment enjoys statutory favour cannot be disciplined or sanctioned without being afforded the right of fair hearing by the Governing Council. With respect to the current ASUU strike, no university governing council has accused any lecturer of misconduct to warrant the seizure of salaries and allowances.”

    The way forward, as I mentioned earlier, is constructive engagement and continuous negotiations. “Revisiting the Needs Assessment Report,” which I wrote in September would be a good starting point. The government should revisit and critically study again the comprehensive Needs Assessment Report of 2013.

  • Fed Govt, ASUU meeting inconclusive

    THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members are not returning to the classrooms soon, one month after they embarked on strike.

    ASUU National President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said yesterday that the meeting between the Federal Government and the union ended without any conclusion.

    Ogunyemi, while speaking with reporters at the end of the closed door meeting in Abuja, noted that negotiations were still ongoing.

    He said both parties were yet to reach a concrete decision.

    “For now, we have started to discuss. We are yet to reach any concrete decision. Once we have more information, we will make ourselves available to the press.

    “The union will reconvene very soon to continue negotiations,” he said.

    Read also: President renews pledge on release of Chibok girls

    The meeting held at the instance of Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu to find lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the university lecturers.

    ASUU had on November 4, embarked on an indefinite strike over poor funding of Nigerian universities and non-implementation of previous agreements by government.

    Meanwhile, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) President Mr. Danielson Akpan has urged both parties to have a common ground so that the universities can reopen.

    He said they must put the interest of the country and Nigerian students above any other thing.

  • Strike continues as FG, ASUU fail to reach agreement

    The Federal Government and striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) officials on Monday failed to reach an agreement after another round of meeting.

    Another round of meeting to bring to an end the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU on November 4th, was called by Minister of Education, Adamu Adam.

    The meeting began at 5:30 PM and lasted for more than three hours at the headquarters of the federal ministry of education.

    National President of ASUU, at the end of the meeting, told reporters that both parties failed to reach an agreement on how to end the strike.

    Prof. Ogunyemi said that a new date will be fixed for another round of talks with the federal government.

    The ASUU National President said: “The meeting will continue at a later date. We will continue from where we stopped. We will continue at a later date. We have started the discussion,we are continuing and the discussion will continue at a later date. That is what I can say for now.

    Pressed by reporters to disclose the date the union will reconvene to address the ongoing strike, the union president said: “You will get to know about it.”

    In a related development, House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education, has appealed to the striking lecturers and federal government to find a common ground so that academic activities could resume in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

    Chairman of the Committee, Aminu Suleiman, said the House was concerned over the prolong strike.

    Suleiman, who led members of his committee on an oversight visit to the ministry of education, urged both parties to look beyond resolving the ongoing crisis and consider providing a long lasting solution that would enable the nation’s education activities move smoothly without any form of disruptions.

    In a statement in Abuja on Monday, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations. Bem Gong, said the federal government was worried over the industrial action and desirous of ending strikes in the education sector despite the challenges of funding confronting the sector.

    The statement reads: “Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Services rose from a one-day oversight meeting with the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu expressing deep concern over the continued strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), urging the federal government and ASUU to expeditiously conclude the ongoing negotiations in order to bring back our students to their campuses and classes.

    “Committee Chairman, Hon. Aminu Suleiman said federal government and ASUU must go beyond resolving the current strike to providing lasting solutions that will make strikes in the education sector a thing of the past.

    “On his part, Education Minister, Adamu Adamu said, government is desirous to confine strikes in the education to the dustbin history, adding however, that funding remains the greatest obstacle.

    “The minister however said, the workshop on sustainable funding for education in Nigeria coming up tomorrow at the Presidential Villa is expected to proffer lasting solutions to the sustainable funding for the sector.”

  • ASUU strike: The root cause of educational decay

    It has been over two weeks since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on an indefinite strike and yet nothing meaningful has come out of their meeting with the government concerning the strike. ASUU at its NEC meeting of November 3 and 4, 2018, at the FUTA, resolved to resume the national wide strike action it suspended in September, 2017 and yet nothing tangible has been done to avert the situation.

    Reacting to this, the National President of the ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said all entreaties made to the federal government to honour the agreement with the union fell on deaf ears and they had no other alternative but to begin the strike action. This is sad news as the strike compels students to stay away from school activities and examination.

    This is a sad turn of event as most students are praying earnestly for the federal government to fulfil their promise to ASUU so that the strike could be called off as they were preparing for their examination and some universities were already writing examination before the commencement of the strike. Many students whose parents could not afford their transport fare back home due to the fact that they were not anticipating the strike and therefore did not make provisions for it are still roaming around the campuses aimlessly.

    There is no gainsaying to acknowledge the efforts tabled by  Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and that of the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, for the efforts they have made so far in seeing that the strike is called off. However, I must confess that their effort is not yielding any good since ASUU and the federal government have not reached an agreement. They should do more by ensuring that the demands of ASUU are met in the shortest time as this will redeem their image in the sight of the students and also print their names in the sands of time.

    • By Aondover Eric Msughter, Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.