A meeting between the Federal government and members of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities ASUU ended in a deadlock on Tuesday, August 16, with no end
in sight to the lingering strike by the academic union.
This means the six-month-old strike by public university lecturers is set to continue.
The striking lecturers had met with the Professor Nimi Briggs Committee on Tuesday
at the National University Commission in Abuja
impasse.
A senior member of ASUU, who craved anonymity said that members of the Briggs
renegotiation committee did not come up with any new offer on the table.
Instead, the ASUU source said, the committee pleaded with the lecturers to suspend
the ongoing strike, with promises that their concerns will be included in the 2023
budget.
According to the source, the meeting, which started at about 12pm, lasted for about
three hours without any agreement reached.
ASUU embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14.
On March 14, the union extended the industrial action by another two months to
allow the government meet all of its demands. A 12-week extension was announced
on May 9.
Since May 9, the union has remained on strike, vowing to persist until its demands
are met.
Read Also:Strike: Let students return to schools, lawmaker begs ASUU, FG
The academics are seeking improved welfare, revitalization of public universities and
academic autonomy among other demands.
One bone of contention for academics is the non-payment of university
revitalization funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion.
But the Federal Government has said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an
amount, citing low oil prices during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The agreement was struck in 2009.
Another is the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System
(IPPIS).
The academics have proposed an alternative payroll system, the University
Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
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