Warning Strike: ASUU Reaches Agreement with FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has disclosed its agreement with the Federal Government on the ongoing warning strike over issues of the revitalization of universities and academic allowance.

ASUU President, Mr Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this on Tuesday 17th, 2020 in Abuja while addressing newsmen at the end of a reconciliatory meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Ogunyemi said that no pronouncement would be made until the presentation of the new government proposals to members of the union.

“We had some fruitful discussions. We have improved on where we were last time. We have what we can call concrete proposals and we have what we can take back to our members,” he said.

“But as we usually say, those of us here cannot give the final pronouncements on any of the proposals and we have assured the government that we will report faithfully to our principals and get back to government accordingly.

“We want to assure all Nigerians that we are concerned about going back to our work like every other person because we know that is where we find happiness. We are not happy outside our classrooms, our laboratories and our libraries,” he noted.

“So, in view of this, we will do our best to ensure that those concerned have the maximum benefits from this action because it is of national interest,” he added.

While commenting on the latest development, Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, noted that both parties had fruitful deliberations on contentious issues, especially the issue of IPPIS.

“The meeting was longer than anticipated because we had to look at all the issues that were in our 2019 Memorandum of Actions, especially those that had not been fully addressed. We made new proposal on behalf of FG to ASUU.

“These issues included funding, revitalization of public universities, earned academic allowances, salary shortfalls in the Federal University of Akure and the issue of state universities,” he said.

“We also addressed payment of earned academic allowances to the University of Ilorin.

“On the Nigerian University Pension Commission, the certificate was issued last year but operational certificate had not been issued because we do not have a permanent PENCOM board in place,” he added.

The minister noted that the issue of IPPIS was also discussed and options and solutions were advanced.