ASUU Strike Latest Update April 2019 | ASUU STRIKE Set To Continue In Universities

ASUU resumes indefinite strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University chapter, on Wednesday resumed indefinite strike to press home its demands. 

The union had embarked on a strike in 2018 but suspended it when the Taraba government promised to meet its demands which included the payment of earned academic allowances from 2014 till date, and the provision of required infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning

Dr Samuel Shikaa, the branch Chairman, and Dr Atando Agbu, the Secretary, in a statement shortly after the Executive Council Meeting with national officials in Jalingo, said that the teachers would remain at home until the demands were met.

The union said that the law establishing the university, which specified adequate funding for the institution, had been abandoned by the state government. “Law no 4 of 2008 specified that five per cent of the state allocation, five per cent of the Local Government allocation and two per cent of all contracts will be used in funding the university, but all of these have been neglected.

“If you go round the university, you will discover that a part from the library and senate building which are still under construction, every other buildings you will see are constructed and furnished by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. “If you refer to this university as TET Fund University, you will not be wrong because the few infrastructures here are provided by the fund,” he said. In a reaction, Mr Ande Boyi, President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NASS), Taraba State University chapter,  appealed to Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba to  meet the union’s  demands to enable students continue with their studies.

“Now that the strike has been declared, the student body is appealing to  Ishaku to immediately meet the demands of ASUU to ensure that students don’t stay at home for long,” he said. He lamented that students had just resumed from the nationwide strike only to be confronted by another round of strike

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has officially suspended a strike it commenced three months ago.

The union directed university lecturers to resume duty from tomorrow, February 12.

The suspension of the strike was announced on Thursday evening after a meeting with between the ASUU leadership and a government delegation led by labour minister, Chris Ngige.

The ASUU delegation was led by its president, Abiodun Ogunyemi, who announced the suspension of the strike.

At the meeting, a memorandum of action was signed by the two parties.

Mr Ngige had earlier said the government had resolved the eight contentious issues that led to the strike. He said some of the items have been implemented.

Mr Ngige said the union agreed with the government that N25 billion naira will be released for the revitalization of public universities.

He said visitation panels have been constituted and will commence work on March 2.

ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike on November 4, 2018, following government’s failure to implement the agreement reached with the union in November 2016.

Reason For Ending Strike

In announcing the suspension of the strike, Mr Ogunyemi read a prepared speech detailing the agreements the union reached with the federal government.

He listed eight items contained in the agreement signed by ASUU and the federal government.

“In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would
be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume
full implementation of the MoU of 2013,” Mr Ogunyemi said.

Read the full speech by the ASUU president below.

Friends and compatriots of the Press, On Sunday, 4th November, 2018, the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) resumed its strike action which was conditionally suspended on 14th September, 2017.

The action of 2017 was suspended following the signing of a Memorandum of Action (MoA) in which the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) promised to address the contentious issues within a timeline that was to end in October 2017. While announcing the suspension of the nationwide action, however, our Union made it categorically clear that “ASUU will not hesitate to review its position should government renege on the signed Memorandum of Action”. Predictably, Government implemented the MoA in the breach, thereby forcing ASUU to resume the suspended strike action.

Comrades and compatriots, as we have always argued, the last thing ASUU members love doing is to cause disruption in smooth intellectual engagements with colleagues, friends and students right on our university campuses. This has nothing to do with the dubious advertorial of “non-disruption of academic calendar” by proprietors and administrators of some cash-and-carry universities and other self-styled enemies of ASUU. Rather, it is about deep-seated pains members of the Union undergo to prevent strike actions and the equally painful consequences strike
situations bring to all who are genuinely averse to the mercantile disposition to university education.

Why Strike Action?

The question has been asked time and time again: Why does ASUU like embarking on strike action that causes disruption and dislocation in the universities?

However, ASUU is strongly convinced that if academics fail to fight the cause of university education, the fate that befell public primary and secondary schools would soon become the lot of the public university system in Nigeria. ASUU’s advocacy on the need to stem the continued slide into rot and decay in public universities since the 1980s has fallen on deaf ears. Our experience, as a trade union, shows that successive governments in Nigeria always entered into negotiated agreements only to placate those pleading the cause – be it education, health,
transportation, employment or any other issue of meaningful living. This proclivity of the Nigerian ruling class, irrespective of which wing of the insensitive stock they belong, must be continually be tracked, engaged and
resisted by all people of goodwill.

ASUU ‘s action strike, which started on 4th November, 2018, was situated in the context of accumulated records of indifference and lackadaisical attitude of Government to negotiated agreements with the Union. At our media interaction in University of Lagos on 23rd December, 2018, we highlighted the outstanding issues in the crisis to include the following:

– Funding for the revitalization of Public Universities based on the FGN-ASUU MoU of 2012, 2013 and the MoA of 2017

– Reconstitution of the current Government Team to allow for a leader and Chairman of the FG-ASUU Renegotiating team who has the interest of the nation and the people at heart.

– Release of the forensic audit report on Earned Academic allowances (EAA), offsetting the outstanding balance of the EAA and mainstreaming of same into the 2018 budget.

– Payment of all arrears of shortfall in all universities that have met the verification requirements of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA)

– Provision of a platform by the federal government for ASUU to engage Governors on the proliferation of universities, underfunding of university education and undue interference in the affairs of the universities

– Release of PFA operational license to NUPEMCO

– Payment of EAA to loyal ASUU members at the University of Ilorin A new Memorandum of Action and Our Resolution
To date, ASUU has had a total of ten (10) interactive meetings with representatives of FGN which have culminated into a Memorandum of Action of 2019. Highlights of the MoA include the following:

1. In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume full implementation of the MoU of 2013.

2. Part-payment of the outstanding arrears of the earned academic allowances; defraying the balance up to 2018 in 4 tranches within 36 months; and mainstreaming further payments of EAA into the annual budgets beginning from 2019 budget.

3. PICA verification and the release of the arrears of salary shortfall at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, not later than 15th February 2019.

4. Strengthening the Consultative Committee on State-owned Universities (CCSOU), inaugurated on Monday, 28th January, 2019 to look into the issues of proliferation, underfunding and governance to consistently deliver on its mandate.

5. Payment of the outstanding EAA arrears of all eligible staff in the University of Ilorin, especially the loyal ASUU members whose appointments were illegally terminated by today, 7th February, 2019.

6. Acknowledgement and appreciation of Government for facilitating the release of the final letter of approval for the granting of operational license to NUPEMCO.

7. Visitation to all Federal Universities would commence tentatively by 11th March, 2019.

8. Provision of documented guidelines on procedures and roles of parties in the process of renegotiating FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009 which would commence not later than 18th February 2019 and end by Friday 29th March, 2019.
Based on the initial proposals from Government, the Union made extensive consultations through its various organs. The final level of consultation was the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) which took place 6th
-7th February, 2019. NEC resolved that: Following a careful review of the report of engagements with the Federal
Government on proposals for addressing all outstanding in the 2013 MoU and 2017 MoA, NEC resolved that the current strike action by the Union should be suspended conditionally with effect from 12.01 a.m on Friday 8th February, 2019. However, should Government fail to fulfill its part of the agreement as reflected in the 2019 Memorandum of Action, ASUU shall resume its suspended strike action as the Union deems necessary.

Conclusion

ASUU notes, with serious concern, the covert and overt roles of some vice chancellors in the management and application of funds attracted by our Union to Nigeria’s public universities. Consequently, we condemn, in the
strongest terms, Vice-Chancellors who have made efforts to undermine and, in some cases, attempted to break our patriotic struggles for the revitalization of public universities in Nigeria. ASUU will not shy away from taking headlong those Vice-Chancellors who are reputed for acts of impunity, nepotism and other forms of conduct which are antithetic to university culture and the progressive development of our universities. Our union will compile all their shenanigans and forward them to relevant authorities for further action.

Finally, ASUU acknowledges the understanding and support demonstrated by patriotic Nigerian students and their parents all through the strike period. We equally appreciate the comradely assistance from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), represented by the newly re-elected President, Comrade Ayuba Waba, who has stood by us throughout the struggle. We also acknowledge the solidarity of the civil society organisations, especially the Joint Action Front (JAF) and the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), and members of the progressive wing of the media who have consistently partnered with us in our mission to rescue Nigerian public universities from imminent collapse.

While we put a closure to this phase of the struggle, it is our hope and desire that the Nigerian governments (Federal and State) will play the roles expected of them in order to make the new Memorandum work. We shall
never abandon our obligation to ensure the survival of a sound university system. For ASUU, the struggle certainly continues!

BREAKING: ASUU Suspends Nationwide Strike After Three Months

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its nationwide industrial action.

National President of the union, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, announced this on Thursday during a press briefing at the Nigeria Labour Congress complex in Abuja.

The striking lecturers took the decision after a meeting with representatives of the Federal Government led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.

The meeting came hours before Professor Ogunyemi announced the decision of ASUU to suspend the strike.

It had in attendance leaders of the union and government representatives such as the permanent secretaries at the ministries of Education, as well as Labour and Employment, and some directors from the ministries.

ASUU STRIKE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED…..JUst In….Details Later

JUST IN: Strike: ASUU, FG in another crucial meeting (02/07/2019)

A meeting between striking university lecturers and the federal government commenced Thursday evening.

The lecturers’ union, ASUU, embarked on an indefinite strike on November 4, 2018, demanding improved funding of universities and implementation of previous agreements with the government.

Thursday’s meeting, which is holding at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja, is not the first since the beginning of the strike.

Prior to Thursday’s meeting, at least nine other meetings have been held between both parties.

The meeting began around 5:45 p.m.

In his opening address, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said there is hope the meeting will be fruitful and conclusive.

”We hope the meeting will close the chapter in this imbroglio,” he said.

Also speaking, the national president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union hopes the impending issues will be resolved.

”We need to get final clearance to make final pronouncement this evening, ” he said.

Meanwhile, ASUU in a statement Thursday evening said it will address journalists after the meeting.

ASUU, FG to hold reconciliatory meeting (02/07/2019)

The Federal Government and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities will hold a reconciliatory meeting on Thursday in an effort to resolve issues that led to the ongoing strike called by ASUU.

ASUU president, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said at the end of the last meeting held at the Ministry of Labour and Employment that there was an agreement to adjourn until Thursday after the leadership of the ASUU must have met other members to discuss the new government position of its demands.

“We have set of information for our members. Until we tell our members. We are making progress and the progress we are making is for everybody’s interest and stakeholders will benefit at the end of the day. We will be meeting on Thursday (today). We have trashed all grey areas so the progress we have made must first be related to our members.”

While confirming that both parties would meet for another meeting, Acting Director at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Iliya Rhoda, said in a statement that Dr Chris Ngige would preside over the meeting.

The statement said, “Furtherance to efforts at resolving the on-going industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, is scheduled to hold a conciliatory meeting with the executive of ASUU.”

STRIKE: ASUU conducts referendum among members

IBADAN—THE national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has conducted a referendum to decide whether to suspend the ongoing 3-month strike or not.

The national leadership of the Union had directed its zonal coordinators to meet with their branch chairpersons to conduct the referendum on the offers of government.

We gathered that over 200 members of the University of Ibadan chapter of the union who attended the congress voted for the continuation of the strike while a little above 50 voted for suspension with conditions.

Chairman of the University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr Deji Omole said the congress only conducted referendum on the offers of government saying the congress is the principal which guides the leadership of the union on their struggle.

On the new offers, Omole stated that government promised to mainstream the earned academic allowances into salaries from 2019.

He also hinted that government said as a sign of good faith, it will release N25 billion for the revitalisation of universities while the rest will be defrayed after identifying sources to fund it. Omole, who stated that government agreed to pay additional N5 billion to make the earned academic allowances N25 billion out of the owed N105 billion said ASUU wanted government to pay N30 billion.

According to him, the Federal Government has agreed that renegotiation should commence and end within six weeks. Sources at the congress, however, informed Vanguard “that members voted for the continuation of the strike because they doubted government sincerity in fulfilling its new promises following the  failure of the Buhari administration to fulfill the Memorandum of Understanding until the current strike.”

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Atiku: I’ll triple education budget, end ‘disgraceful’ ASUU strike on day one as president

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he will triple the budget for education sector if elected president.

Speaking during the Silverbird Man of the Year event on Sunday, Atiku also said he would end the incessant strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from his first day as president.

The Buhari administration allocated 7.04% of the N9.120 trillion 2018 budget to education.

Federal universities have been shut down since November when ASUU embarked on strike following government’s failure to implement the agreement reached in November 2016.

The lecturers are demanding among things, the disputed registration of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company, fractionalisation of salaries in federal universities, gross under-funding and non-funding of state universities.

According to Atiku, the industrial action will receive his first attention as president if voted into office on February 16.

“I am aghast that as I speak, our students across the nation are not being educated due to the ASUU strike caused by an unresolved debate of about N60billion,” he said during the event which held in Lagos.

“If I get the job I am seeking, my first task on day one – along with naming my cabinet – will be to end this disgraceful strike and get our students back to their studies.

“I will also triple the amount the Nigerian Government spends on education from 7 percent of its budget today, not just to the 15 per cent recommended by UNESCO, but to 20 per cent.

“I recognize the value education can bring to the individual and the nation. But even more than that, I want every child in Nigeria to have the opportunities I had.”

Atiku also said the presidential election presents an opportunity for “a turning point” in the country’s development, adding that he has the requisite experience to “drive Nigeria to prosperity.”

We’ve done our part, ASUU should end strike soon – FG declares, releases N16.8bn (1/3/2019)

This is as the federal government on Saturday, February 2, revealed that it has released the sum of N16.8 billion to settle outstanding arrears – The minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said that the federal government had reached agreement with ASUU in the hope that the strike will end soon In a decisive effort to resolve issues that started the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU)’s prolonged strike, the federal government has released N16.8 billion to settle outstanding salary arrears of lecturers in universities.

The minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, revealed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Saturday, February 2, adding that the fund is to be released by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Vanguard reports.

Adamu stated that the federal government had resolved all issues, waiting for ASUU to end its industrial action.

The minister further stressed that agreement on the following have been reached: review of polytechnic act; government awaits the transmittal of the amended document by the National Assembly to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent, revitalisation of polytechnics and colleges of education and renegotiation of the 2010 agreements.

Adamu remarked that the federal government had directed Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, to source for additional N30 billion for polytechnics and colleges of education.

Adamu said: “Also for state owned polytechnics; the National Board for Technical Education has been directed to strengthen its regulatory mechanism including developing a new template for accreditation to address observed weaknesses. “And to ensure that proprietors of polytechnics including states and private owners meet their obligations to their staff.

“Again as a demonstration of Government’s commitment to continuous dialogue with the staff unions, the ministry will provide alternative funding for the stalled renegotiations in the polytechnics sub- sector.

“The National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education have also been directed to ensure compliance with the approved schedules of meetings with their respective Unions.’’

Adamu noted that the federal government had reached agreement with ASUU, and is optimistic that academic activities throughout universities in the country will resume in no time.

He praised the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) for calling off its strike to allow students continue with their studies.

FG, ASUU meeting ends in deadlock, adjourns to Feb 7 (1/2/2019) —9PM

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have again failed to reach a compromise to end the ongoing strike by the university lecturers.

Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment while addressing newsmen after a closed-door meeting with the union on Friday in Abuja said the meeting was protracted.

He said, “The meeting was protracted, but the good news is that we have gotten to the end of the tunnel.

“We met them halfway and we have finished the gray areas and on the issue of N50 billion, we have offered what we have.

“We do not have N50 billion and we cannot do N50 billion, but we have offered them something reasonable.

“So they have to take it back, and go and present to their members”.

Ngige, however, expressed hope that students would return to school soon, saying “We will know when they will go back by Thursday”.

Earlier, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President said the meeting had been adjourned to February 7.

“So, far on the level of progress made so far, I cannot tell you that now until I tell my members.

“It is the feedback of the last meeting we came to present to government today.

“But right now, we have a new set of information that we have to go and present to our members. Until we tell our members, we cannot tell you,” he said.

Ogunyemi noted that progress had been made on the ongoing negotiations.

He added that “We are making progress and the progress we are making is for everybody’s interest and stakeholders will benefit at the end of the day.

“We will be meeting on Thursday, after which, we will address the press.

“We have dealt with all areas, so the progress we have made must first be related to our members.

“So until we tell them, and they tell us what to do that, that is only when we can relate to the press. The meeting is adjourned till Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the strike commenced on November 5, 2018.

The lecturers are demanding for the implementation of some agreements with the Federal Government since November 2009.

NAN also reports that one of their major demands is the implementation of university revitalisation fund.

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NANS threatens to boycott, disrupt polls (1/31/2019)

THE National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS,  yesterday, threatened to boycott and disrupt the 2019 general elections should the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and its Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, counterpart and the Federal Government fail to reach an understanding and call off the ongoing strike

ASUU embarked on indefinite strike on November 5, 2018 to drive home the Federal Government’s alleged failure to honour the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, earlier signed between the union and the Federal Government.

NANS Zone B, comprising tertiary institutions in the South East and South South, at a peaceful demonstration at the Delta State end of the Niger Bridge, barricaded the expressway to register their displeasure over the lingering strike and called on the federal government to either negotiate with ASUU, or forget about the elections.

The protesting students, drawn from the eleven states of the South South and South East, were seen wielding placards of various inscriptions such as,   “ASUU/ ASUP strike, Another way to increase crime”; “ No resumption,  no election”; “We are tired of endless negotiations”; “End strike now”; “NANS Zone B wants Her Students back on campuses”; Nigerian Students have bright future; do not truncate it with strike”; “NANS Zone B says no to strike” and “Save education, end strike now” Zone B coordinator of NANS, Comrade Okereke Godson said students could not afford to stay at home while the country holds the 2019 general elections, warning that the umbrella body of the students would chase away voters on election day if the federal government failed to reach agreement with ASUU and end the strike.

He said: “Students constitute 46 percent of the electoral strength in this country and if the federal government fails to end the strike, we see it as a deliberate attempt to rig the poll because the election cannot hold while we remain at home. Let them open our campuses or election will not hold.”

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ASUU Issues Stern Warning To Vice Chancellors Over Non-Compliance (1/29/2019) 7PM

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened that it would sanction some university Vice-Chancellors who have been “uncooperative” in the ongoing strike by the lecturers.

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ogunyemi was reacting to the allegation that some vice-chancellors have been intimidating lecturers in their institution and have ordered them back to the classroom, while some have reportedly commenced examinations.

According to him, the union may be preparing for a confrontation with some of the vice-chancellors that have defaulted and failed to cooperate.

“The attitude of some of these vice-chancellors is worrisome; the union will be prepared to engage such vice-chancellor when the ongoing strike is suspended or called off, ” he said.

He expressed regret over some members of the union, who choose to betray their conscience by opting out of the strike.

He added that such members who may be aggrieved ought to take opportunity of available internal mechanism for resolving such crisis, saying that the union will address the issues at the appropriate time.

Ogunyemi, however, noted that there are reasons some members may have opted out of the action in some campuses.

According to him, some vice-chancellors are uncooperative even though they will benefit in the university system what ASUU is agitating for.

“In some places, some of them will misapply the fund. That is why there will continue to be crisis, so when we go back, we are going to engage many of the vice-chancellors.

“Like in some state universities, their governors are playing the ostrich, pretending to be funding their universities.

“Today, we call many state universities TETFund universities because the bulk of their capital projects in the last ten years came from TETFund support and lately, the NEEDS assessment grant.

“Governors, who own such universities, will be giving their vice-chancellors directive to go and open the universities.

“They are just not being sincere to themselves because they are actually not doing what is expected of them.

“Another reason is because some of our members are aggrieved for reasons best known to them. Some have threatened to pull out of ASUU and go their own way.

“When you take it on the balance, you find out that within their inner self, they are not opposed to what we are asking for because the Earned Academic Allowances will go to them, revitalisation fund and the salary shortfall, it will be refunded to them,” he said.

According to him, at the end of the day, it is a matter of conscience. Some of our members are, like you find in any group, those who betray their conscience. We cannot stop them because they are exercising their right.

“But for those who pretend to be with us and are not with us, we will take them through our process at the appropriate time because every organisation has its own disciplinary mechanism,” he said.

ASUU had commenced an indefinite strike on Nov. 5, 2018, demanding for increased funding of the university education by the Federal Government.

ASUU questions integrity of OAU exams, certificates (1/29/2019)

The Obafemi Awolowo University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has questioned the integrity of the examinations being conducted by the institution, as well as the certificates that will be awarded to its graduates.

 The ASUU Chairman at OAU, Dr Adeola Egbedokun, in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Monday, said it was worrisome that the management of the university started conducting examinations for students despite the ongoing nationwide strike and unavailability of lecturers in many universities.

The two academic unions at the university are divided over the ongoing strike and while ASUU members are on strike, members of the Congress of University Academics have refused to join the strike.

 Egbedokun said the examinations being conducted by the university would dent its reputation because the management ignored the regulations and requirements that could qualify students to sit for examination so as to hurriedly conduct the examinations and bring the semester to an end.

 He said it was unthinkable that lectures were going on simultaneously with examinations in some cases and wondered how the school management wanted the affected students to perform in such a situation.

 The ASUU chairman said, “It is worthy of note that ASUU OAU believes in both quality and integrity. Since the current semester was just five weeks-old when the strike was declared, it means we have an outstanding of seven weeks of lecture before examinations.

“Anytime that ASUU strike is either suspended or called off, the union will resume work and continue from the sixth week of lecture and then cover the seven weeks we were yet to do. One thing that must be made clear is that as much as the calendar is sacrosanct, so is the university regulation more sacrosanct.

“The final year examination questions did not undergo the mandatory moderation by an external moderator because such external moderators are fully on strike in their various universities. This calls to question the integrity of the examinations and the purported certificate the university is about to award to such unsuspecting students

“Part 4 courses are re-allocated to graduate assistants, who are not supposed to teach. We also have information that non-academic staff are being asked to supervise students’ long essays in some departments.

When contacted for his reaction, the Chairman of the Congress of Universities Academics at OAU, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, challenged ASUU to back its claims with proofs.

Describing ASUU’s claims as unfounded, Sunmonu said he was very sure that students at the Department of Physics were taught everything in the syllabus by qualified lecturers.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, could not be reached for his reaction to the claims. He had, however, said earlier in a statement issued before the commencement of the examination that effective teaching was done before the examination started.

The statement said, “To further set the record straight concerning ASUU’s lies, at a management meeting held on December 17, 2018, reports from provosts and deans indicated that effective and efficient teaching had been carried out in all faculties even though a few lecturers (less than 20 among an academic staff population of over 1300) had not completed the teaching of their assigned courses.

“Their teaching assignments have been reassigned to other academic members of staff who have gladly taken up the challenge to ensure that we have a smooth academic session.”

We are still consulting over the strike, says ASUU president (1/28/2019) @5:30Pm

Nearly three months into its ongoing strike, the Academic Staff Union of Universities says it is still consulting with its members over offers made by the Federal Government.

The union’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos that they would meet with officials of the government within the week.

According to him, government had made some offers in the course of meetings with ASUU, which are still being deliberated upon by members.

“We are still consulting with our chapters across the country.  There are promises that government made and we are trying to consult with the various university chapters on the options before the union.

“By the time we are fully aware of what is left of our demands from what the government is offering, we will know what steps to take, even as negotiations with the government continues.

“For instance, we are in touch with about 20 universities that are affected, to be sure of the level of implementation. By the time we finish our assessment, we will now send our response back to government, concerning the level of implementation

“And depending on the outcome of our further engagements with government, we will now get back to our members,” he said.

Ogunyemi said ASUU is expected to be involved in another round of meeting with the government within the week, adding that he expects a positive outcome.

NAN reports that the university teachers have been on strike since November 4, 2018 over alleged non-implementation of agreements it entered into with the Federal Government in 2009 and 2017.

Their demands are on better welfare package and improved teaching and learning environment, among other issues.

(NAN)

Strike: ASUU denies receiving N163bn from FG (1/28/2019)

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Sunday denied receiving the sum of N163bn from government in a bid to suspend the three-month-old strike.

In a statement titled,  ‘Re: N163bn released to ASUU: Putting the record straight,’ signed by the Ibadan zonal coordinator of the union, Dr Ade Adejumo, the union, said, “Once again, the attention of our union has been drawn to another piece of misinformation which gives the impression that ASUU collects money from government.

“For umpteenth time, let it be known that our union is a patriotic organisation whose activities are driven by principled conviction that the resources of the country can better be managed for the ultimate benefit of the Nigerian society, especially the education sector which is our immediate constituency.

“The government and all civilised individuals are aware of how the university is managed, so also the resources available to it. The government knows that it is the council and the university administration that receive and spend all the money coming into the university. ASUU doesn’t receive money from government and doesn’t spend it.”

It added, “Even money meant for our salaries and other allowances come directly to the university administration which prepares the budget and manages it. ASUU members collect only their salaries as paid by the university. Contracts and all the capital projects are awarded by the councils that are appointed by the government, not ASUU.

“It is in the context of the above that our union calls on the vice-chancellors and council chairmen to stop behaving like vultures that wait silently by the sidelines, waiting for the game to fall only to descend on the carcass.

“They should join forces with ASUU in its struggles to attract requisite funding into our public universities rather than working at cross purposes with us. Part of the least expected from them is to come out openly to put the record straight each time the government comes out with the deliberate falsehood that money has been released to ASUU.”

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, had earlier on Saturday, similarly said that the Federal Government claim that it released N163bn to settle part of the demands of the union was misleading.

Ogunyemi, who spoke on the sidelines of the Nigeria Labour Congress meeting in Abuja, said, “The minister referred to the release of N163bn but that was not released by the Ministry of Education to revitalisation. That fund he alluded to was from TETFUND. TETFUND was there when we carried out the NEEDS Assessment in 2012. What we called Revitalisation Fund today is a product of that exercise of 2012. We have always drawn a line of distinction between what TETFUND gives and what we should access from the NEEDS Assessment Fund.

“They are different terms of intervention that should not be equated to one. TETFUND as an intervention agent is ASUU’s brainchild which became a reality. The funds from NEEDS Assessment is to fix specific items of deficiency in our system. Both Federal and state governments have now relinquished their responsibilities to TETFUND, they now hold on to it.

ASUU strike may end this week – Minister

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has said the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities may end this week.

The minister disclosed this during a briefing with reporters on the proliferation of illegal institutions in the country, at the weekend in Abuja.

The ASUU have been on strike since November 4th, 2018.

Malam Adamu said: “Perhaps by next week I hope the ASUU strike will be over.”

But when contacted, the ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, in a text message, said the union was still consulting on whether to end the strike or not.

According to him, the union wants to take stock of what government have promised.

He said: “All I can say, for now, is that we are still consulting. We need to take stock of government’s promises in terms of aspects that have been fulfilled and what is left.

“The feedback and assessment of our members will guide our response in subsequent engagements with government. We hope the expectations of our membership would be met in the new week.

On whether the universities have accessed the N15.89 billion released by the federal government, he said: “We are cross-checking with the concerned universities. Until we confirm that all the universities have received the money, I cannot confirm.

“And please note that ASUU does not collect money from government, financial releases are made directly to universities. That’s why we need confirmation.”

The government has been meeting the university lecturers since the strike began.

However, one major issue that keeps dragging the negotiations back and forth is the revitalisation of universities.

At present, the government is yet to release the N1.1 trillion it agreed to release as part of the funds for the revitalization project.

The 2013 MoU stipulated that public universities needed N1.3 trillion for a modest revitalisation.

The fund was to be released in tranches of N200billion in 2013, N220billion 2014, N220billion 2015, 220billion in 2016, N220billion in 2017 and N220billion in 2018.

Although the previous government of Goodluck Jonathan released N200 billion in 2013 nothing has been released since then.

Lecturers vow to continue strike, reveal who to blame (1/26/2019)

The Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Joel Okewale, has said that Federal Government should be blamed for the continuing strike action by the Union.

He said the Federal Government has been “insincere, deceitful and unwillingness to resolve the issues raised by the Union.”

Okewale stated this yesterday while briefing newsmen at the ASUU Secretariat, OOU Mini Campus, Ago Iwoye.

The briefing was attended by the Secretary of the branch, Olugbenga Azeez, the immediate past zonal coordinator (Lagos) of ASUU and member of the union’s negotiating team, Adetola Nassir and other branch executive members.

Okewale informed journalists that rather than addressing and resolving the main issues that led to the strike, the Federal Government had engaged in dishing out false information to raise hope of Nigerians over the matter.

He noted that “government has not shown serious commitment to the defraying of the outstanding N1.1trillion revitalisation fund and the shortfalls in salaries to affected ASUU members.”

He pointed out that this “situation would make the suspension of the ongoing strike difficult.”

Okewale explained further that “the revitalisation fund as contained in the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and 2017 Memorandum of Action (MoA) between the FG and ASUU, were meant to ensure rapid transformation of Nigeria’s public universities for improved efficiency, infrastructural development and global competitiveness.”

He added that the union had “agreed with the FG to release the outstanding revitalisation fund in tranches at N220b annually.”

He said that the release of N25b by the government to 69 public universities and which was widely publicised, was a far cry from what was agreed upon.

On the payment of shortfalls in salaries of ASUU members, Okewale disclosed that “N20b released by the FG for the purpose was not meant for university lecturers alone, but for staff of MDAs, polytechnics, colleges of education and others.”

According to him, “the Union would continue with the strike action until the FG shows serious commitment to the payment of revitalisation fund, renegotiation of 2009 agreement and addressing of other matters such as release of NUPEMCO’s operation license by PenCom, full payment of arrears of shortfalls in salaries of university academies, release of the report of forensic audit on Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), payment of outstanding arrears and mainstreaming of the allowances into 2018 budget, among other demands.”

Strike Will End When Govt Addresses Our Minimalist Proposal, Says ASUU President (1/24/2019)

Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has stated that the Union has not watered down the initial demands it made at the beginning of the on-going strike.

In an interview with Daily Trust on Wednesday, the don stressed that the strike will only end when government addresses the demands of the lecturers.

There have been various back-and-forth meetings between the presidency and the union since the strike started in November 2018. This has been followed by speculations on a possible end to the protest soon.

However, restating the stance on the union’s demands, Ogunyemi stated: “The strike will end when government addresses our minimalist proposal sent to it. We have reduced what we proposed drastically. What we propose now is a far cry from where we started. So, government must address this proposal that we have before it in order to pave way for the suspension of the strike action. Unless it does so, we cannot go back to our members to prevail on them to consider other positions than where we are.

“What we are doing now is that we are making a sacrifice for students to secure their future. We are sacrificing our today so that our children can have public universities that they can be proud of in the future. Those of us who are struggling now, went to public universities and if students are lucky to be in those universities, they should also support us in defending the universities from collapsing.

“The trouble we are making is that we don’t want a situation in which our universities would collapse just like our primary and secondary schools have collapsed. That is the context from which we want people to appreciate the ASUU struggle.”

He also called on well-meaning Nigerians to join the Union in appealing to government to provide positive response to their demands, as it is what is necessary from prevent the collapse of public universities.

Despite Buhari’s matching order to Ngige, FG fails to end ASUU strike(1hr Ago)(1/22/2019)

THE Federal Government, yesterday, failed in its efforts to convince the Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU,to end the ongoing strike despite initial matching order for its representative at a meeting with the lecturer body to that effect.

After about four hours of the meeting held at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, led by the Minister,Senator Chris Ngige,the end result was deadlock. The development followed the inability of both parties to shift common grounds.

ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi,speaking at the end of the marathon meeting, vowed that his organisation would continue with the ongoing strike unless government met the demands being pushed by the union Ogunyemi, speaking at the rescheduled meeting with the government,said: “We have not suspended the strike, the discussion will continue at a later date. We are going back to our members for further consultation. FG gave us reaction to our proposals but there were still grey areas that we are trying to sort out. “Before the strike can be suspended, the most critical area that FG must address is revitalization. It is central to our academic work, unless that area is addressed, our members will still have issues. We are not demanding for N50bn, we are saying that the minimum that FG can release to reactivate revitalization fund is N50bn.”

On his part, Senator Chris Ngige, who led government’s delegation, regretted that in spite of “substantial commitment to ASUU demands”, the body was yet to shift grounds. Ngige,who expressed frustration at the development, said the government’s team would meet the leadership of ASUU again when they were prepared. Ngige,who said he appeared at the meeting with hope of ending the strike as directed by President Buhari,regretted that the aim was not achieved.

“We did not take a long time than we anticipated. We have other commitments but the important thing is that we have made substantial progress. We have reached some agreements in seven areas. Most of the issues have been resolved but ASUU will need to consult its members and come with what they think,” he said.

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