The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says there is no going back on the one-month window given to the Federal Government to conclude the renegotiation with the union.

The union reiterated the position at the end of its NEC meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, on November 8 and 9.

ASUU President Prof Chris Piwuna, in a statement, said that during the meeting, members were briefed on the offers made by the federal government negotiating team.

According to him, NEC frowned at the back-and-forth approach of the government to negotiation which could have grievous consequences.

He said NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the overwhelming support of Nigerians, adding, “to arrive at that decision, NEC believed a one-month window would be sufficient to conclude renegotiation if this gesture was reciprocated with good faith by the government.

“We therefore hope that our expectations and indeed the expectations of Nigerians for a quick and holistic resolution are not dashed. It is now the responsibility of the government to take advantage of this opportunity to quickly resolve all the issues, in order to keep our children in school.”

Members of the NEC regrettably observed with consternation the government’s failure to prioritise education because it perceives education as a commercial good that must be self-sustaining instead of a social good that guarantees the sustainable development of the nation.

Piwuna stressed that the meeting further reviewed the progress made in the renegotiation since the suspension of the warning strike about two weeks ago and rejected the proposed salary increment as a mere drop in the ocean that is not capable of achieving the desired reversal of the brain drain syndrome, which has bedevilled university education in the country for decades.

“While noting that gaps are being closed in some non-monetary aspects of the agreement, the salary and conditions of service components remain a sore point that needs a radical approach to stem the tide in the system.

“ASUU NEC regretted that government functionaries are undermining the negotiation process by the subtle misrepresentation of its offers and implementation of agreements.

“The part payment of promotion arrears dating as far back as 2017, the release of third-party deductions, which are part of members’ unpaid benefits for years, at best, are mere confidence-boosting exercises and must not be framed as the substantial issues of the negotiation process. The framing of government’s implementation is not the true reflection of the reality and this strategy signposts imminent danger to the renegotiation because it casts doubt on the fidelity of its proposals.

“Government’s objective must not be to win the narrative but to solve the problems. The remaining days to the expiry of the one-month window given to the government must be judiciously used to achieve a holistic resolution of the issues, particularly to uplift the living conditions of academics in Nigeria. This is not too much to ask. The surest way to protect the future of our country is to invest in education,” he added.

ASUU noted that education as the bedrock of any society deserves special attention, more so in Nigeria given the deficit in our education infrastructure.

The union observed that the lot of academics and education have remained unchanged in the positive direction in recent years remains a wonder.

Piwuna noted: “Contrary to the claim of paucity of funds and economic downturn, evidence shows that there have been quantum leaps in the revenue profile of both the Federal and State Governments. For example, in 2022, according to data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, the states received a total of N3.92 trillion.

“While the figure for 2024 was N5.81 trillion. This is an increase of over 62%. Similarly, the Federal Government received N3.42 trillion in 2022 and N4.65 trillion in 2024, representing an increase of over 70%. It is the political will or lack of it, and not economic factors, that has been undermining the resolution of this renegotiation process, as the revenue profile above clearly supports this claim.”

The ASUU president said NEC called on traditional rulers, leaders, students, NLC, and civil society to continue to urge the government to do the right things and give lecturers a living wage. (The Sun)