*Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Minister of State for Education, appeals to the University lecturers not to resume strike to drive home their points, saying the lingering industrial dispute is not about 鈥榯he government versus ASUU鈥� but 鈥榙oing what is right鈥�

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

In regard to acceding to the demands of the the academic union, the Federal Government of Nigeria has explained that it currently, does not have enough resources to meet all the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at once.

Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Honourable Minister of State for Education, who stated this Monday, December 20, 2021, noted that the government鈥檚 resources were not enough to fulfil all the demands of ASUU at once.

It was learnt that the Minister, however, faulted claims of the Union that the Federal Government was blackmailing it.

Recall ASUU November 15, 2021, had issued the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to honour the agreement it signed with the academic Union, which earlier led to the suspension of the strike by University lecturers December 2020.

绿帽献妻 reports part of the demands are the payment of earned allowances, payment of revitalisation funds to universities, creation of visitation panels and implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for the payment of workers in the Nigerian University system among others.

Government 鈥榗annot possibly be blackmailing鈥� ASUU, says Nwajiuba

While declining the allegation that the Federal Government reportedly blackmailed the Union over signed agreements, the Minister rather explained to the The Punch, that the government did not have enough resources to meet all of ASUU鈥檚 demands at once.

Hon. Nwajiuba stated:聽鈥淲e cannot possibly be blackmailing them; we tried to explain to them that we will fulfil the agreements when we have the resources. Agreements have been signed and they are meant to be fulfilled.

鈥淏ut we do not have all the resources to meet all the demands at once. The thing is that we all are working together 鈥揂SUU and the Federal Government.鈥�

The Minister further noted: 鈥淭he goal is to produce graduates, who will serve Nigeria, and to make sure that the academic calendar is running smoothly.

鈥淪o, the government will always pay its dues; you do not have to go on strike to drive home your points. They need to know that it is not the government versus ASUU.鈥�

According to him, 鈥渋t is about doing what is right. Let us use the resources as they come. There are lots of sectors that need attention.

鈥淎ll we are saying is that once there are resources, we will meet your needs; all you have to do is to keep the academic calendar running. So, please, where is the blackmail?鈥�

However, despite the Minister鈥檚 explanation and assurance of fulfilling its own part pf the agreements with the Union, ASUU said it would not go on strike, as the government had failed to satisfactorily address all the issues raised in the 2009 agreement besides Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Action (MoA) between it and the Federal Government, according to report.

ASUU is not going on strike 鈹�Prof. Sodeke, National Chairman

Meanwhile, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities had said in an interview Sunday, December 19 that 鈥渋t is certain, we are not going on strike. ASUU is not going on strike; every other information will be in our press release.鈥�

The Union, however, in a statement issued Monday, December 20, 2021, titled, 鈥楨nough of the blackmail鈥�, and signed by Osodeke, said the NEC resolved to review the situation at a later date.

ASUU stated: 鈥淣EC concluded that the government has failed to satisfactorily address all the issues raised in the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement and subsequent MoU and MoA.

鈥淗owever, considering the ongoing intervention and consultation efforts, NEC resolved to review the situation at a later date with a view to deciding on the next line of action.

鈥淣EC was worried by the spirited efforts of government agents to reduce the demands of ASUU to a regime of intermittent payment of watered-down revitalisation fund and release of distorted and grossly devalued earned academic allowances.

The statement further noted: 鈥淣EC condemns in strong terms the surreptitious moves to pooh-pooh our demands on the review of the NUC鈥檚 Act to curb the proliferation of universities by state governments, which are not funding the existing ones; adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solutions with concurrent discontinuance of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System and distortion in salary payment; release of accumulated promotion arrears; and the review and signing of the draft document on the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.

鈥淎SUU shall not relent in demanding improvement in the welfare and conditions of service of our members.鈥�

According to Prof. Sodeke, ASUU would resist any attempt to blackmail the Union and derail their patriotic struggle for a productive University system by official propaganda founded on tokenism and crumb-sharing in the country.

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