under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) and federal legislators was
deadlocked on Monday, as it ended without the
parties reaching any compromise.
The meeting at the National Assembly Complex, which
was at the instance of the chairman, Senate Committee
on Education, Uche Chukwumerije (PDP Abia North),
was called to pacify the striking lecturers with a bid to
finding a common ground.
At the meeting, ASUU insisted that the Federal
Government should implement the agreements reached
in 2009 before it would call off its strike.
Some of the issues in contention include: funding,
university autonomy, academic freedom, earned
academic allowance and registration of Universities
Pension Management Company.
Others are: amendment of pension retirement age of
academics at the professional cadre, federal assistance
to state universities and transfer of Federal Government
landed property to universities.
ASUU President, Nasir Fagge, told the committee that
only two out of the nine agreements had been met.
“We cannot renegotiate what was already agreed in
2009, so the best thing is, let government go and
implement the aspects of the agreement as they have
proposed to us themselves.
“Once that is done, I am confident that it will engender
confidence among our members and our members
nationwide will be able to review the situation at any
moment and take appropriate decision.’’
Mr Fagge expressed worry that the Federal Government
was not fair in its dealing with the association.
He decried the situation whereby funds were being
pumped into other sectors such as banking, aviation
and textile industry that had challenges, yet education
was continuously neglected.
“If we really want to turn around the country, we must
address the issue of education because it is the bedrock
of development,” he said.
“I believe that one of the ways of addressing some of
these issues is for government to implement the 2009
agreement as this will place education on a sound
footing.’’
He noted that Nigerian students and lecturers were
continuously leaving the country to neighbouring
countries in search of better education and teaching
conditions.
Speaking on the issue, the Minister of Education,
Ruqayyatu Rufai, told the committee that the Federal
Government was working tirelessly to ensure that it met
its own side of the agreement.
Mrs. Rufai said the implementation of the agreement
was not something that could be completed within a
short period as it required a very long and tedious
process.
“Two of the issues have been implemented up to 100
percent and the other issues too, progress has been
made as there has been an increase in funding.’’
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, National
Universities Commission (NUC), Julius Okogie, told the
committee that the tuition paid in universities in Nigeria
was very low compared to other countries.
He appealed to ASUU to call off the strike since
negotiations were already on.
Some members of the committee including Senator
Oluremi Tinubu (ACN-Lagos) and Rep. Farouk Lawan
(PDP-Kano), also appealed to ASUU to soften its stand
and call off the strike in the interest of the students.
The committee later went into a closed session with the
stakeholders, but there are no indications that an
agreement was reached.
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