September 06, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has set up a tactical committee to review its ‘no work, no pay’ policy against striking members of the Academic Staff Union Of Universities, ASUU.
This followed a meeting by the Minister Of Education, Adamu Adamu with Pro-Chancellors, Chairmen of Councils, as well as Vice Chancellors of universities.
The meeting held behind closed doors was part of efforts to resolve the seven-month industrial action by lecturers of public universities.
The Director of NigerianPress and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, who disclosed this to journalists after the meeting, said the committee is to also look into issues of increase in the salaries of the university lecturers and come up with workable solutions.
While Goong was not specific on the timeline for the 14-man committee, he, however, said it is expected to come up with its findings in no distant time.
He said the committee’s report will be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for action.
Asked if this committee’s work has jettisoned the recommendations of the Professor Nimi Briggs-led committee earlier set up by the federal government, he simply said, “No.”
The members of the committee include Professor Olu Obafemi, Professor Nimi Briggs, Udo Udoma, Bashir Dalhatu, Professor Kayode Adebowale, (University of Ibadan), Professor Kabir Bala (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria), Professor Lilian Salami (University of Benin), Professor Charles Igwe (University of Nigeria, Nsukka), Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede; Representatives of the Academy of letters, Science, Medicine and social sciences.
The committee will be chaired by the Minister of Education, Adamu.
THEWILL reported that lecturers of the Federal Government owned universities had embarked on strike since February 14, 2022, to demand release of revitalisation funds for universities; deployment of the University Transparency Accountability System (UTAS) for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers; release of earned allowances; the release of the white paper report of the visitation panels to universities and other issues involving the ASUU-FGN 2009 agreement;
Shortly after the commencement of the strike, other university-based unions, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and other allied educational institutions also embarked on strike to push their demands.
In a bid to end the strike, the government had set up a negotiation team led by the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Nimi Briggs, to look into negotiations with the unions.
Though, SSANU, NASU and NAAT have all suspended their strike actions, the negotiations between the government and ASUU had stalled over backlog salaries.
While ASUU insisted on the payment of the backlog salaries of members, the Federal Government on its part had maintained a policy of ‘No Work, No Pay’.
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