No Agreement Yet To Suspend Strike ― ASUU: The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has denied a news report that it agreed to call off the ongoing strike after meeting with the Govt. negotiation team led by the Min. of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige on Friday.
The Federal Government at the meeting at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Labour and Employment reportedly increased its offer for Earned Allowances EA to university based unions and funding for the revitalization of public universities from N65 billion to N70 billion.
It was further reported that the Government agreed to settle the arrears of salaries of the lecturers before December 31.
But ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, has denied knowledge of any agreement to call off the strike, stressing that at the meeting, it was only agreed that union should convey Government message to their organs and get back to Government.
Prof. Ogunyemi said, “I am not aware of that. All I know is that we had a meeting and we are going to report to our members. But I don’t know about suspension of strike.”
However, a source in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, said that after the meeting, the Minister, Senator Ngige, who described the meeting as “fruitful,” added that the government made a proposal to ASUU which it would take back to its members.
Ngige told reporters after the meeting that, “Many issues were discussed at the meeting including salary shortfall, the payment system and revitalization of the university system. I am positive that all the issues would be resolved at our next meeting.”
Friday’s meeting was about the seventh time both sides have met to resolve the issues in contention since the university union embarked on strike on March 23. After the meeting of last Friday November 20, Government agreed to exempt ASUU members who had not enrolled in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and put them on the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS) pending when ASUU’S preferred payment platform- the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) will be approved.
ASUU had consistently rejected IPPIS, stressing that it will erode the autonomy of the university system.
