It has been reported that the Federal Government has postponed the negotiation meeting earlier scheduled to hold today with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. The postponement was contained in a message from Mr. Charles Akpan, Deputy Director, Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige earlier disclosed that the Federal Government has kept its promises with the university teachers, adding that the government had faithfully complied with timeliness in the offer it made to the union. “For instance, the Federal Government promised to constitute a Negotiation Committee for the 2009 Agreement and has fulfilled it with the last week’s inauguration of the committee that has Prof. Muzali as chairman. “
"The N40b Earned Academic Allowances/ Earned Allowances have also been processed just like the N30b revitalization Fund, bringing it to a total of N70b. “ Likewise, the Visitation Panels for the Universities have been approved by the President but the panel cannot perform its responsibilities until the shut universities are reopened."
“The gazetting is also being rounded off at the Office of Attorney General of the Federation while the Ministry of Education is ready to inaugurate the various visitation panels. “Similarly, Government agreed to pay salaries, allowances of Earned Academic Allowances/Earned Allowances with a hybrid platform that is not hundred per cent IPPIS as requested by ASUU while UTAS is undergoing usability and integrity test at National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as demanded by ASUU. I, therefore, state without equivocation that every offer with a timeline has been faithfully fulfilled as promised by government .”
The question is if the Federal Government has fulfilled all of this, why is ASUU still on strike?
