Strike: ASUU Insists On Demands As FG Says N110bn Unpayable

After the federal government said the N110 billion revitalization fund demanded by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), was unpayable, the union on Thursday maintained that it remained committed to improving the quality of university education.

Despite the March 23 strike action of the union which is yet to be called off, ASUU stressed that its demands would culminate in the positive transformation of the education sector.

“The interest of Nigeria and the future generations is more paramount to ASUU than the immediate gains of its members. That is why ASUU has been consistent in challenging the rots in the system through sustained engagements with powers that be since the time of the military.

“The gains of ASUU struggles are in the changes that TETFund has been able to bring to the tertiary education sector in the country and ASUU will not relent in pushing for a better university system in the country. The road may be tough, the burden is huge but ASUU remain committed in saving our public Universities,” it stated on Facebook, on Thursday.

THE WHISTLER learnt that ASUU’s meeting with the federal ministry of Labor and Employment in Abuja, had again ended in a deadlock on Wednesday.

While addressing the press, Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige, claimed that government was doing its best to address the union’s demand.

“ASUU is saying that the N30b should be for lecturers alone, irrespective of the fact that there are three other unions. So there is a little problem there. We don’t have any money to offer apart from this N30b.”

“There are three issues and these include the revitalization fund where the government offered ASUU N20 billion, in good faith based on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered into in 2013 as a result of the renegotiation with the then government in 2009. This present government is still committed to it, while we are giving them offers of some fund.

“This government is not against revitalization, but this government says that because of the dire economic situation due to COV1D-19, we cannot really pay in the N110 billion which they are demanding for revitalization.

“We offered N20 billion as revitalization fund. On earned academic allowances (EAA), the government offered N30 billion to all the unions in the universities, making it N50 billion altogether.

“ASUU is saying that the N30 billion should be for lecturers alone, irrespective of the fact that there are three other unions. So there is a little problem there. We do not have any money to offer apart from this N30 billion.

“As you know last week, the minister of communication and digital economy has approved that NITDA gets ASUU system (UTAS) and subject it to integrity test. This test should be conducted without fear or favour and as early as possible. So today, they have submitted the document for onward transmission to NITDA,” he said.