At the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, admitted that the Federal Government failed to meet its part of the agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) last year, which led to the ongoing industrial action called by the union.
The Minister explained that they agreed on eight issues.
“Already, let’s say there was the issue of negotiation which is the only one they agreed that government has done what it promised because we set up the negotiation team and the negotiation is already on-going".
“There is the issue of their earned allowances and I think that because of some miscommunication, what was promised could not be done, but I am assuring ASUU and the nation that this is going to be done".
“There is the issue of registration for the Nigerian Universities’ Pension Commission".
“I think in that one, there are few issues that they need to sort out with the Nigerian Pension Commission and I believe that there will be no problem there"
“The other is the issue of their staff school which I think the court has given them the verdict to go ahead with it".
Adamu stated that he expected that government and the striking lecturers would reach trusted agreements on the demands.
The Minister also said striking lecturers requested that universities should be allowed off Treasury Single Account (TSA), but in his opinion, he said “I think government will not do this. “
“But there are some peculiar funds in the universities, like endowments, prizes and so on. Government will exempt those ones.’’
Explaining further on the TSA, he said that because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not give interest on it, that was why endowments was exempted but other payments could be made into it.
He said that ASUU had been paid N30 billion of the allowances requested but because they were unable to render account of its disbursement it was stopped.
“The figures that I know, they have been paid N30 billion and the problem actually arose because they were not able to account for this N30 billion.
“And we said we will only give them the balance if they are able to account and the balance is N23 billion,’’ he said
The minister noted that the total demand was N53 billion, adding that government had the money to pay.
The minister re-affirmed his belief that ASSUU “is composed of patriotic people, very responsible’’, noting that it was one of the fruits of their struggle that led to the creation of the TETFUND.
He noted that without TETFUND today the university system could have collapsed, adding that he was not supporting ASUU but what was good.
He said he would be meeting with leaders of the union later on Wednesday or on Thursday.
He expressed optimism that an agreement would be reached at the meeting and the strike would be called off.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Labels: Campus News
