State-owned universities have disagreed with their counterparts at the Federal level over Monday’s decision to extend the six-month long industrial action, as they also mull exiting the national body.
Rising from its scheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, concluded Monday morning, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resolved to extend its near six-month long industrial action.
The decision was taken at the union’s NEC meeting which held its headquarters inside the University of Abuja, Monday morning.
ASUU had declared the commencement of a strike on Monday, February 14, 2022, during its University of Lagos meeting,
It would be recalled that Oracle Today had earlier reported that the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) announced that its NEC will soon meet to decide on whether or not to continue with the over five-month industrial action.
The lecturers have been on strike despite several meetings with the Federal Government, reportedly making concessions, including the adoption of the contentious University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the payment platform of lecturers.
Spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, explained that the Federal Government had taken all possible steps to end the strike.
“As regards the next steps, the government has already inaugurated a committee to harmonise the IPPIS, UTAS, and UP3. This will ensure that the government will pay with only one payment platform that will harmonise all the technical peculiarities.
“If you bring some demands and almost 80% have been attended to, there is no need to drag the strike anymore.
“It is unreasonable for the strike to be lingering seeing as the government has worked towards fulfilling most of the demands.”
So far, sister unions in the tertiary education circle, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Education Institutions (NASU) have announced suspension of their industrial action.
Only, last Friday, another academic workers’ union, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), suspended its three-month old nationwide strike.
However, disagreement reared its head at the Monday resolution as management of some state-owned universities backed out on extension of the industrial action.
Already, state-owned universities in Abia, Ekiti and Niger states have directed their students to resume on-campus academic work at their various institutions.
There was an earlier indication that ASUU may return to work in earlier August, after the union had announced via its social media handles, penultimate Sunday, that a positive meeting had held with the Minisyer of Education, Adamu Adamu.
“There are strong indications that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which embarked on total, indefinite industrial action last Monday will likely resume work early next week, following ongoing negotiations with the FG.
“During a private meeting with a team of the National Higher Education Forum on (penultimate) Thursday in Abuja, the Education minister, Adamu Adamu hinted that universities will likely reopen for learning soon while confirming ongoing talks.
“Adamu confirmed that the government has agreed to release the balance of N23billion Earned Allowances to the striking lecturers,” read the notice.
ASUU had objected to the Federal Government’s insistence on cancelling outstanding wages incurred while the lecturers were on strike.
An ASUU NEC member said the Union is not ready to accept the no work no pay policy of the government hence delaying consensus on calling off of the strike.
The leadership of ASUU had met with the Prof. Nimi Briggs Renegotiation Committee two weeks ago in a meeting where the Union said that the government did not come up with new offer.
The committee pleaded with ASUU to suspend the industrial action, promising that their concerns will be included in the 2023 budget.