Hopes of an imminent end to the industrial action embarked upon by Nigeria’s university teachers have become dashed after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said government’s offer during yesterday’s round of meetings was not good enough.

While the Federal Government agreed to release a combined sum of N130 billion to tackle the knotty issues of infrastructural deficit and pending allowances, ASUU insisted on the implementation of the two outstanding issues of infrastructure funding and pending arrears.

Thus, rather than raise hope on the call-off of the strike which started July 1, ASUU President, Comrade Nasir Isa Fagge, said the union’s negotiating team would meet with the National Executive Council (NEC) to decide appropriate response to the Federal Government.

Fagge however stressed that ASUU’s position has not shifted from the 2009 agreement, the non-implementation of which triggered the strike. His words:

“The union is talking about the implementation of 2009 agreement and not renegotiation. If you remember, the objective of going on strike is to get government to implement the 2009 ASUU and FG particularly to implement the provisions of the memorandum of understanding we reached with the government in 2012.

“I want to say that at today’s meeting, we looked at all the issues and it is clear to us that Governor Suswam Committee that is working on the funding requirement for revitalising the university system particularly on the implementation of the needs assessment report . . . it’s clear to us that we have not really gone far in that aspect.

“So, on the basis of that, we will also go back and inform our principals on the development. I think it is important to clarify that at this point we are not making a demand, there was an agreement with government, and even that aspect that government is talking about, the entitlement of earned staff of then university, that includes the technical staff, members of the senior staff association and members of the non academic staff.

“So, I think at this point, what the union is talking about is the implementation of 2009 agreement not the renegotiation of the agreement.

“Well, we will wait to hear from government after the consultation with councils. Whatever they place on the table, we will look at it. But for now, we will also go back and report tour principals.”

Addressing newsmen earlier, government’s chief negotiator, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, said that progress was made on the area of addressing the infrastructural deficit in the Nigerian universities with the release of N100 billion, which would be distributed by next month.

“The Federal Government has been able to harness about N100 billion, which Mr. President has agreed . . . that will flag of the project and starting from the first week of September in virtually all the universities. The process of achieving that is ongoing at the Centre and due process for it at various universities,” Suswam, who is the Chairman of the Presidential Universities Needs Assessment Committee, said after the meeting at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which lasted more than four hours.

“The infrastructure deficit will be addressed like hostels, labs and libraries. Some will be renovated while others will be brand new. Every university will be affected and each of the hostel will accommodate 1,200 students,” Fagge added.

Also speaking, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said that all issues have been resolved except the unpaid allowances. He said that Federal Government has agreed to release the sum of N30 billion in that regard, which must be paid according to the verifiable claims by each University Council.

Anyim disclosed that the sum of N92 billion being demanded by ASUU could not be met as the claims upon which fund were to be released could be faulty using the initial criteria being proposed by the academic union.

The SGF said that they have shifted the responsibility of settling the pending arrears rests squarely on the University Council, who will be supported with the N30 billion.

“The situation ASUU is asking for the N92 billion and we felt that the way the whole process is being done, there would be discrepancies and we want things to be done according to due process,” he said, adding:

“We know that it is the responsibility of the University Commission to take care of the issue of unclaimed allowances. So the actual figures will be verified by the Council and we will be supporting them with N30 billion.”

On the funding of the Universities infrastructure, Anyim said that Federal Government would start with the sum of N100 billion.

He said that Federal Government will release funds in a progressive manner over a period of three years to meet up with the sum of N400 billion being demanded by ASUU.

•Photo shows ASUU President, Comrade Nasir Isa Fagge.

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