ASUU Makes U-Turn, Says No Agreement Yet To Suspend Eight Months Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has denied media reports that it had agreed to call off the ongoing eight months strike.

KanyiDaily recalls that ASUU was alleged to have agreed to call of the strike after the Federal Government pledged to pay N40 billion as the Earned Allowance and N30bn for the revitalisation of the university system bringing the total payment to N70 billion.

It was further reported that the Government agreed to settle the arrears of salaries of the lecturers before December 31, 2020.

The said reports had emerged on Friday after the meeting with the union and the FG negotiation team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ngige was quoted as saying the parley was fruitful, adding that the government made a proposal to ASUU which it would take back to its members.

“Many issues were discussed at the meeting including salary shortfall, the payment system and revitalisation of the university system. I am positive that all the issues would be resolved at our next meeting,” Ngige said.

The ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, simply said everything Ngige said was correct and declined further comment about the meeting with the FG.

However, while speaking with journalists on Saturday, Ogunyemi refuted the claims that ASUU had reached an agreement with the government after the Friday meeting.

He stressed that it was only agreed that the union should convey the government’s message to their organs about the agreement before it can communicate their decision to the government after which a date would be announced to end the strike.

“I am not aware of that. All I know is that we had a meeting and we are going to report to our members. But I don’t know about the suspension of strike,” he said.

Ogunyemi added that the suspension of the strike cannot be determined by him alone.

KanyiDaily recalls that the government hs agreed to exempt ASUU members from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) pending the approval of their proposed payment system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).