The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ukachukwu Awuzie addressing newsmen on the ongoing university teachers strike in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

FG urges ASUU to suspend strike

August 31, 2009 11:54PM

The Federal Government on Monday appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its ongoing strike and return to the negotiation table. Sam Egwu, the Minister of Education, made the call in Abuja at a news conference on the renegotiation of the 2001 agreements between the Federal Government and the University Staff Unions.

He said the government team was not in a position to continue further negotiations with ASUU and other unions, until they suspended their strike. Mr Egwu said that would provide an enabling environment for the unions to conclude the exercise at the level of individual governing councils of federal universities. He noted that government could only sign agreements reached through the various federal universities’ councils and not for the state universities. The minister said government’s effort to facilitate the conclusion of negotiations at “strictly employer-employee level” had been stalled by the current strike by the union. He appealed to ASUU to honour the plea by Nigerians and call off the strike, to allow negotiations to continue. He regretted that government’s efforts and those of other prominent Nigerians had been stalled by the strike.

Senior staff association supports new negotiation

However, the University of Ibadan chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has expressed confidence in the current negotiation committee set up to resolve issues involved in their prolonged strike. The union Chairman, Olu Omolona, made this known on Monday in Ibadan in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of a joint congress of the three unions of the university. The congress also includes the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU). Omolona said: “we still have confidence that the Federal Government will settle the rift, since the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and the NLC are currently prevailing on the government.’’ He, however, expressed displeasure with the manner in which the Gamaliel Onasode negotiation team was going about its assignment, saying it was biased. The Federal Government had, last week, asked the university councils to resume negotiation with ASUU in a bid to end the industrial action. The strike by the three unions which started in June, has paralysed activities in both federal and state universities. The unions are demanding improved funding of universities, autonomy, better pay and increase in their retirement age from 65 to 70 years.

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Reader Comments (4)

Posted by Kajewole Ruth Ooreofe on Sep 03 2009

ASUU really shouldn't be blamed for any actions.but all the same so many of us are being affected by these actions.ASUU should take the 40% for now and the govt must not take this for granted.sources also say some PHCNworkers are to have 150% but have just 13% now.what if they also go on strike too?the nation will be in shambles.Govt pls be effective I'm pleading.thanks

Posted by by Andrew Ojiezel on Sep 03 2009

Personally speaking, I believe that FG is only making a hypocritical call. I say FG is being hypocritical because their children, children of the political and ruling class are not in any of the public schools in the country, or private universities here where they pay fortunes for them at the detriment of the public ones. So, they can afford to shun the lecturers that are crying for revamping of the fallen standard of education. ASUU is not just fighting for salary but for enjoyment of sound education and in befitting environments by students. Why should these ruling class (the oppressors), make all efforts to take their children to schools abroad and often go to overseas for medical treatment if they had paid the price to create better standards at home. President Umaru Yar’Adua, and his cohorts should bury their faces in shame for always traveling abroad for medical treatments, they should know that those people paid the price to maintain those institutions. Thanks, Andrew Ojiezel

Posted by student on Sep 15 2009

This country is turning into something else. It is obvious that the Federal Government does not wish well for the growth of this country and for the oncoming generation.The time students are supposed to spend studying in school, they rather loaf around committing all sorts of atrocities; All attributed from the wickedness of the federal government. As far as we continue to elect corrupt leaders in this country,we will never develop. My prayer is that the wicked, corrupt, and selfish leaders will never go unpunished.

Posted by CYRIL on Sep 16 2009

For God's sake, what is this country turning into? What is the hope of the future generation? What leaders will we produce tomorrow? I urge the Federal government to do something or the country will become ........ KUDOS