public universities have been on strike,
the Federal Government and the
Academic Staff Union of Universities on
Wednesday finally signed a fresh
agreement.
The fresh pact is the review of the
Federal Government/ASUU 2012
Memorandum of Understanding reached
on the 2009 agreement.
Both parties, however, refused to reveal
the details of the agreement to
journalists who witnessed the signing of
the agreement.
The meeting was almost boycotted by
the union until the intervention of
stakeholders.
ASUU had on Tuesday vowed not to
attend the meeting because there was
no commitment and proper invitation
from the government.
The union had demanded for proof of
the payment of the N200bn into a
Central Bank of Nigeria account for
public universities, non-victimisation
clause, review of the agreement in 2014
and that a representative of
government, preferably the Attorney-
General of the Federation to sign the
agreement as conditions to call off the
strike which began on July 1.
Our correspondent, however, gathered
that the union got three of its demands
while it relinquished one to the
government.
The Federal Government agreed to
present evidence of payment,
implement the non-victimisation clause
and that the agreement was open to re-
negotiation in 2014.
But it was the Permanent Secretary of
the Ministry of Education, MacJohn
Nwaobiala, who signed the agreement
on behalf of the government contrary to
the demand of the union.
ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Faggae,
signed on behalf of the union while the
President of the Nigeria Labour
Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar, signed as
a witness to the agreement.
The Supervising Minister of Education,
Nyesom Wike, who presided over the
meeting, said there was “no victor no
vanquished” in the dispute.
He said the Federal Government was
alive to its responsibility to restore
normalcy to the university system.
Wike argued that government only
directed the vice-chancellors of federal
universities to immediately reopen the
universities for academic activities
pending when other minor discrepancies
would be sorted out.
“Today, I am very pleased to announce
that all contending issues between
ASUU and the Federal Government have
been resolved to the satisfaction of the
parties.
“Let me emphasise that we recognise
and appreciate ASUU’s patriotic role and
commitment towards ensuring that our
universities are well-funded, resourced
and run like their counterparts in other
parts of the world.
“Thus, we are all partners in progress
and there is no victor; no vanquished in
the struggle of this nature for as long as
our goals remain noble, not actuated by
parochial interests, but targeted at
moving our nation forward.”
The minister on behalf of President
Goodluck Jonathan thanked Nigerians,
the National Assembly, the labour
unions, traditional rulers, parents and
students for showing understanding.
In his response, Faggae commended the
President for his intervention in the
dispute.
He, however, stressed that the strike
could not have lingered if government
had agreed to document the agreement
reached with the union.
“If what we have agreed with Mr.
President at that 13-hour meeting had
been judiciously documented and our
members were convinced that it was
going to be implemented, we wouldn’t
have waited this while because we also
have a lot of respect for the office of
Mr. President and that of the Vice-
President.
“But you see our members are
intellectuals, I keep saying this. It is
simply because over the years
particularly since the signing of the 2009
agreement we have been pursuing
government to get that agreement
implemented.
“We rarely succeeded in getting a
portion of that agreement implemented
by the government. Here we are, we
have gone for about four years but it is
never too late to turn a new page and
make sure we do what is right with our
universities.”
Faggae said the country must place high
premium on education if it hoped to
catch up with developed world.
Faggae who said the decision to call-off
the strike lied with the National
Executive Council of the union,
promised that the message would be
delivered within one week for a final
decision on the strike.
“We would now take this document to
our members and we are confident that
our members will do the appropriate
thing.
“It was a sacrifice that was worth taking
to ensure that we do what is right for
our country,” he added.
In an interview, Faggae said ASUU would
make its position known to government
“within one week.”
