The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) is expected to meet on Sunday, August 28, 2022, to decide on whether to
call off or continue with the strike.
NSL LEARNT: the meeting will hold at the union’s national headquarters at the
The University of Abuja
Our correspondent further gathered that the council will take a decision on the
industrial action based on reports from the various state congresses.
NSL reports that ASUU had on Monday, February 14, 2022 embarked on a strike.
The union had demanded for the renegotiation of the ASUU-FGN 2009 agreement;
release of revitalisation funds for universities; deployment of the University
Transparency Accountability System for the payment of salaries and allowances of
university lecturers; release of earned allowances; and the release of the white paper
report of the visitation panels to universities.
“The NEC meeting will hold on August 28, the four weeks ultimatum that we gave is
expiring that same day. We will be making our decisions based on the results of the
state congresses
Read Also:Strike: Let students return to schools, lawmaker begs ASUU, FG
“The NEC has to depend on the result of the congresses. The zones have held their
own congresses; the branch chairmen will also talk to their members and they will
get feedback which will be transmitted to the NEC,” one of the sources said.
When asked if the union will consider calling off the strike, the source asked, “Does it
look like the government wants to end the strike?”
Confirming the date of the NEC meeting to our correspondent, the chairperson,
ASUU, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin, simply said,
“Yes, Sunday.”
Shortly after the commencement of ASUU strike, other university-based unions such
as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of
Universities and other allied educational institutions had also embarked on strike to
push their demands.
In a bid to end the strike, the government had set up a negotiation team led by the
Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Nimi Briggs, to look into
negotiations with the unions.
While, SSANU, NASU and NAAT had suspended their strike actions, the negotiations
between the government and ASUU had stalled.
‘No proscription plan’
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education on, Monday, said it was not aware of
plans to proscribe ASUU.
The ministry also noted that the failure of the union to call off its strike despite the
interventions of the government was unreasonable.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Ben Goong, disclosed this in an interview with our
correspondent in Abuja.
Media reports had said the government was planning to proscribe the union and drag
it to the National Industrial Court over the strike.
Goong said, “We are not aware of such plans. The minister gave all the updates
during his press briefing with State House correspondents. If there were plans to take
further steps, he would have noted it.
“As regards the next steps, the government has already inaugurated a committee to
harmonise the IPPIS, UTAS and UP3; this will ensure that the government will pay
with only one payment platform that will harmonise all the technical peculiarities.
“The government has also rolled out its achievements. A total of N2.5 trillion has
been expended in the tertiary education sector in the past 10 years, that is even much
more than the amount in the 2009 agreement. The issues about salary adjustment
have also been attended to.
“If you bring some demands and almost 80% has been attended to, there is no need
to drag the strike anymore. It is unreasonable for the strike to be lingering, seeing as
the government has worked towards fulfilling most of the demands
http://nationalsportslink.com.ng
