While hopes were high of lecturers returning to the classrooms ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government (FG) it was unfortunately not to be as it ended without any reasonable agreement.
The implication is that the six-month old strike by public university lecturers continues as students stay at home also remain.
The striking lecturers had met with the Professor Briggs Committee on Tuesday at the National University Commission in Abuja with high hopes of resolving the impasse.
Prof.. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU President told the press not a reasonable government was represented even as the Briggs renegotiation committee did not present any new offer on the table.
But said, the committee plead with the lecturers to suspend the ongoing strike, with promises that their concerns will be included in the 2023 budget.
“There was no serious representation from the Federal Government, only Prof Briggs; no minister and they were pleading; there was nothing serious,” he said.
Recalled that on March 14, the union extended the industrial action by another two months to allow the government meet all of its demands. A 12-week extension was announced on May 9.
Since May 9, the union has remained on strike, vowing to persist until its demands are met.
The academics are seeking improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among other demands.
One bone of contention for the academics is the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion.
But the Federal Government has said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount, citing low oil prices during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The agreement was struck in 2009.
There is also the issue of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The academics have proposed an alternative payroll system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
