The Federal Government has set up committees to resolve certain grey arrears raised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities in an ultimatum issued close to three weeks ago, the Vice President, ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known to The PUNCH in Abuja.
The committee will meet on September 11, 2024.
These were the resolutions made at the end of a closed-door meeting held between ASUU’s leadership and the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education headed by Prof. Tahir Mamman.
“The meeting is over; committees were set up to resolve the IPPIS/EAA and salary areas stuff. The committee is to meet 11th next week,” Piwuna said in a terse message to our correspondent.
Following resolutions reached at the union’s national executive council meeting held at the University of Ibadan on August 19, 2024, public university lecturers threatened to go on a nationwide strike over the Federal Government’s failure to honour the 2009 renegotiated agreement.
ASUU’s demands include improvements in welfare and university funding and halting the proliferation of universities nationwide.
In response to ASUU’s ultimatum, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, noted that most of the issues of contention dated as far back as 1981. He, however, said letters of invitation had been sent to the leadership of the union and other organisations and that their grievance was being attended to:
“Most of the issues raised by ASUU are being attended to. For instance, the issue of exit from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System has since been resolved by the President. Bureaucracy is the reason for the delay in the implementation of that directive. But by the time we meet on Monday, some of these issues will be discussed and resolved.
“Most of the demands of ASUU started in 1981. And virtually every government has had its fair share of ASUU strikes. But the President made a commitment during the campaign that permanent solution would be provided this time, and he has shown that in his steps and actions,” he said.
The minister further appealed to ASUU to be considerate and open-minded in their approach at the negotiation table so that the interests of all parties would be properly represented.