The industrial action embarked upon by the Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has become an interesting game of hide and seek between the union and the FG. Uji Abdullahi Iliyasu reports that the two parties seem to be enjoying the game.
Emerging facts
The Federal Government says it has released N163bn to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) pool.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said this while addressing newsmen after a closed-door reconciliatory meeting with ASUU leadership on Monday in Abuja, the development ASUU president said he was not aware of.
University lecturers had embarked on strike on November 4, 2018, to press home their demands.
ASUU demands included some areas of understanding in the implementation of the Memorandum of Action agreed to in 2017.
Some of these areas include shortfall in salaries of some federal universities’ workers and lecturers, earned allowances, revitalisation that were part of the 2009 agreement, among others.
“Today we have agreed to fund revitalisation. Government has released about N163bn from TETFund account to universities.
“So, we have gotten some substantial agreement in most of the areas of the agreement.”
“Most of the issues have being resolved, so they are going to go back to their members and present government’s offer to their council,” Ngige said.
He, however, added that if the total amount of the union’s demand was aggregated it would be more than the N50bn the union is said to be demanding as the government was paying in different compartments.
“These are debts of 2009, owed by the past administration that is 2009 to 2012, so it is not our own debt and we have been doing a lot to settle these debts.
“So, we will be reconvening at the instance of ASUU, they said they want to go and consult with their members and they cannot call off the strike without consulting with their members,’’
But in a swift reaction, ASUU president Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi told Blueprint that he was not aware of the release of any fund to the union as claimed by the minister of labour and employement, Dr Chris Ngige.
“I am not aware of any new release that has been to the universities. ASUU does not collect money directly from government. Only university vice chancellors can confirm if they received any money. Those we asked said arrears of salary shortfalls have not been released to them,” Prof Ogunyemi said.
Earlier, Labour Minister had said that President Muhammadu Buhari had mandated him to ensure that all issues concerning the ongoing strike in the university system were resolved.
“The president has directed me to pass the night here until all issues that have kept our children away from schools are resolved and strike called off.”
Ngige further said President Buhari was greatly worried about the situation in the university system, hence his steady and holistic approach to tackling the rot through adequate funding.
Averting labour protest
In order to avert the labour protest and end the ongoing ASUU strike, the minister of labour, Dr Chris Ngige led the federal government’s delegation one of the numerous meetings with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)
Also, labour unions, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been asking the government to increase the minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000.
The unions have however threatened to embark on a nationwide protest on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, if the government fails to approve the recommended minimum wage. The claim they later denied.
NANS’ anger and threats
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to blockade the Niger Bridge if the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is not called off by the end of the month.
National public relations officer of NANS, Okereafor Opeyemi in a statement on Wednesday said that it has became the necessary action to take following the latest stalemate of the FG-ASUU meeting held on Monday.
He said that despite the various appeals to lecturers and FG from the apex student body, both parties did not eventually reach a compromise.
Mr Opeyemi said it took this next line of action after wide consultation with students.
“NANS has widely consulted and equally consolidated on the over two-month old strike and left with no option but to use the third C of aluta which is confrontation!
“We consider this strike that has negatively affected Nigerian students as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise Nigerian students in the forthcoming general elections which will be completely resisted knowing full well that millions of Nigerian students registered in the campus environments.
“In view of this NANS presidency is fully supporting Comrade Okereke Godson Bishop’s decision to resist the continued strike by relocating the secretariat of NANS to the very busy Niger bridge on January 30, 2019.”
He said the blockade may also be extended to other parts of the country should the strike persist.
“This shall be extended to other zones until our students are returned back to campus.”
The union also backed the ASUU leadership on its proposition seeking to remove Mr Wale Babalakin as the head of the negotiations with the union.
“Finally we are joining our voice with ASUU in calling on the FG to consider remove Wale Babalakin with immediate effect, as the head of the renegotiation team, as this team is yet to yield any fruitful result so far.
President Buhari’s worry and directive
President Muhammadu Buhari before the Lst meeting of ASUU and the federal government’s negation team, had directed the Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige to end the ongoing strike by the lecturers.
Ngige made the disclosure during the resumed negotiation with the leadership of ASUU on Monday.
A statement issued by the Assistant Director, Press at the ministry, Rhoda Iliya, said Buhari ordered Ngige that the three-month old strike must be called off at the end of the meeting on Monday.
“Mr President has directed me to pass the night here until all issues that have kept our children away from school are resolved and the strike called off.
“The president has also directed me to impress upon you, the imperative of little sacrifice from all sides, knowing full well that the revenue of the federation has dwindled from what it was before the present administration assumed office,” Ngige said.
He said Buhari was concerned by the prevailing crisis in the university system, reason for his steady commitment to a “holistic approach to tackling the rot through adequate funding, notwithstanding the dwindling accruals.
“The president told me to assure you of his determination to reposition our universities as he would do everything possible to cast the present challenges in our tertiary education to the dustbin of history.”
Lecturers conditions met?
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has said the only condition to suspend the ongoing nationwide strike is for the federal government to pay, at least, N50bn Revitalisation Fund; out of one tranche of N220 billion.
ASUU national Chairman, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi spoke to newsmen in Ibadan, Oyo state on Sunday, before the union’s scheduled meeting with the federal government last Monday.
ASUU said that the federal government must also present concrete evidence of implementation of the promised N20 billion Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and how the balance of N85 billion would be paid; with timelines.
The union and government since the strike started have had seven meetings.
“We want them to pay, immediately, N50 billion as a sign of commitment this quarter and, for the next three quarters, the government can pay N50 billion each quarter.
“So, our members have rejected the N20 billion they proposed that will be spread over two quarters in 2019. Our members have insisted on the release of at least N50 billion.
“In relation to EAA, which they have an outstanding N105 billion, our members are saying even if you (government) are releasing N20 billion, let it be stated clearly that it is only for ASUU members and the balance which you promised to pay in four instalments, attach timelines to the balance and figures.”
But after the last meeting with ASUU government said N163bn naira had been released to ASUU, but ASUU president, in swift reaction told Blueprint that he was ignorant of the amount released. Nigerian seem to be at loss.
ASUU working for opposition?
There had been insinuations that the striking lecturers are working against the government and reelection bid of President Muhammadu Buhari, the accusation the ASUU president Prof. Ogunyemi dismissed as laughable. Now will Nigerians believe?
