The federal government has scheduled a high-level meeting for Thursday in Abuja to address unresolved issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), following nationwide protests by the union earlier this week.
Branches of ASUU staged demonstrations on Tuesday to demand fulfillment of long-standing agreements, warning of a possible strike if government failed to act.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tunji Alausa, told THISDAY that the Tinubu administration had already tackled several of the contentious matters it inherited and was determined to settle the dispute “in a wholesome and holistic manner.”
According to him, ministries and agencies including Finance, Labour, Budget Office, the Solicitor General, and the Salaries and Wages Commission will meet to finalize a counter-proposal to ASUU’s demands, which will then be submitted to the Yayale Ahmed Committee.
Alausa stressed that the government was deliberately taking time to avoid “hurried agreements” of the past, noting that part of the N150 billion earlier pledged to universities had already been released. He also said arrears of earned allowances and postgraduate supervision allowances had been paid, while a 25 per cent wage adjustment would be implemented once government finances improved.
“The 2009 agreement has lingered for 16 years without full implementation. This government is committed to resolving it comprehensively. We urge ASUU to be patient while we conclude work on a counter-proposal that is realistic and sustainable,” he said.
