The re-negotiation team recently inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, is to liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders to finalise the position of the Federal Government to the issues in the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Renegotiated Agreement.
The team is to review the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Agreement while also renegotiate in realistic and workable terms the 2009 Agreements with other University-Based Unions.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu made these known while inaugurating the team in Abuja.
The Minister noted that the team has the duration of three months to submit it reviews.
He appealed to the team to double its effort towards concluding the assignment and producing a realistic and workable draft Agreements that would holistically tackle the challenges confronting the Nigerian Universities System.
The re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreements between the Federal Government and the University-Based Staff Unions (ASUU, SSANU, NAAT & NASU) had commenced on Monday, 13th February 2017 but was affected by “unforeseen circumstances, including COVID-19 pandemic.
The re-negotiation team is to be chaired by the Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs.
Also on the team are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Olu Obafemi from North-Central; Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science & Technology, Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu, representing North West; and Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Mathew Seiyefa from South-South.
Other members are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Wukari, Lawrence Patrick Ngbale, who represents North East; Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth, representing South West and Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Senator Chris Adighije, representing South East.
Meanwhile, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU have continued to vote in support of the roll-over of the one month strike into April saying ”the only option to resolution of FG/ASUU impasse is to continue the industrial action until all matters are resolved.”
The UniCal chapter of ASUU stated via a statement of vote as displayed on ASUU official handle that strike should be sustained until all issues raised by ASUU are completely resolved.
The statement further quoted the UniCal ASUU Chairman as saying, “strikes should be sustained to resolve all issues completely so that industrial action will not be recurrent and yearly.”
The University of Abuja chapter was the second among the Union chapters to vote in continuation of the strike. The chapter faulted claims by the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige on the payment of over N90b adding that no such money was received by ASUU.
Bayero University Kano Chapter of ASUU also voted in support of the roll-over of the one month ASUU strike.
Dominica Nwabufo
