ASUU Strike: Federal Government Postpones Meeting With ASUU

The meeting between the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) and the Federal Government has been postponed till further notice.

This meeting which was fixed to deliberate on the ongoing ASUU strike was scheduled to hold today, Wednesday, 9th, Dec 2020. The info about the postponement was passed on by Mr Charles Akpan, The Deputy Director in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

According to the message, “The Meeting between ASUU and the Federal Government earlier scheduled for today (Wednesday) by 3 pm has been postponed. Thank you for your understanding.”

ASUU has been on strike since March this year over the nonpayment of Earned Academic Allowances, non-provision of revitalisation fund among others. Recently the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had announced that government had agreed to make available N70 billion for Earned Allowances which include other three University-based unions and the revitalisation fund.

On  Tuesday, the Minister had said that the Federal Government has kept its promises with the university teachers, adding that the government had faithfully complied with timeliness in the offer is made to the union.

He said:

“For instance, the Federal Government promised to constitute a Negotiation Committee for the 2009 Agreement and has fulfilled it with the last week’s inauguration of the committee that has Prof. Muzali as chairman. 

The  N40b Earned Academic Allowances/ Earned Allowances have also been processed just like the N30b revitalization Fund,  bringing it to a total of N70b. “ Likewise, the Visitation Panels for the Universities have been approved by the President but the panel cannot perform its responsibilities until the shut universities are re-opened. “The gazetting is also being rounded off at the Office of Attorney General of the Federation while the Ministry of Education is ready to inaugurate the various visitation panels.

Similarly, Government agreed to pay salaries, allowances of Earned Academic Allowances/ Earned Allowances with a hybrid platform that is not hundred per cent IPPIS as requested by ASUU while  UTAS  is undergoing usability and integrity test at National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as demanded by ASUU.

I, therefore, state without equivocation that every offer with a timeline has been faithfully fulfilled as promised by the government .”