The Federal Government on Friday
appealed to striking university lecturers to return to work, saying a
resolution to the 54-day strike was under way.
The Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, made the appeal in Abuja during a
meeting between government’s representatives and Chairmen of Governing
Councils of both federal and state universities.
Anyim, who read out a number of
agreements held between government and executives of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities since the commencement of the strike, said the
Federal Government had shown enough commitment to ending the impasse.
He said that the lecturers were being inconsiderate with their demands.
Anyim’s reaction, however, came on the
heels of recent threat by ASUU to discontinue further deliberations with
the Federal Government’s negotiation team.
ASUU began its current strike on July 1,
2013 following the failure of the government to implement a 2009
agreement on public universities funding.
Anyim said, “Government is making every
effort to revitalise the university system by this demonstration of
clear commitment to revitalise the university system. Government hereby
urges every staff of the nation’s universities to return to work as all
issues are being resolved.”
The SGF also inaugurated the
disbursement of N130 bn sourced by the Gabriel Suswam-led NEEDS
implementation committee and the Federal Government for revitalising
infrastructures within the university system and settlement of earned
allowances arrears.
Anyim said most of the issues contained
in the 2009 agreement, which necessitated the current strike had been
fully met except for the earned allowances which ASUU pegged at N92bn.
He said, “On July 2, 2013, ASUU declared
what it called, total and indefinite strike over issues it says have
remained unresolved pertaining to an agreement it reached with
government in 2009.
“It is pertinent to narrate the genesis
of the 2009 agreement; ASUU went on strike action in 2006 based on their
request for a review of personnel matters; on account of this,
government initiated a NEEDS Assessment of the University System
comprising federal and states universities, the negotiations led to the
2009 agreement.
“Some of these issues bothered on
amendment of pensionable retirement age of academics in the professorial
cadre, Consolidated Peculiar Allowances.”
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Please answer ASUU request but retire professor at 60-65 years of age maximum. That was what is obtainable across the globe, particularly in the advanced and educational rated nations. Check it out, our professor were too old and they lack the recency in today's academic work that tailored towards productivity. I am equally a professor but i need to say this. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGovernment officials (executive, NASS & judiciary) live on fat salaries, allowances and kickbacks that are never delayed for one day, yet government is appealing to ASUU to go back to class. Appeal for what? ASUU should not shift an inch from their position. Some lecturers do not have offices. Gov't officials should also learn to sacrifice. Enough of this rubbish.
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