NUT Gives FG & Lecturers 2 Weeks Ultimatum To End ASUU Strike Or They Will Close Down The Nation's Schools

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has given a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve the strike, embarked upon by university lecturers.

Mr. Michael Olukoya, the NUT President stated this in Abuja at the end of the Union’s meeting with teachers’ representatives across the country yesterday, September 26, 2013.

Mr. Olukoya said that members of the Union would not hesitate to close down the nation’s schools, if the two parties failed to reach agreement after two weeks. He described the current ASUU strike as nationalistic, patriotic and self-sacrificing.

Hmmm... 13 days more.

ASUU Says The Strike Must Continue; Rejects FG's N130 Billion Offer

Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday, rejected the N130 billion the Federal Government disbursed into the university system, as part of efforts to persuade striking lecturers to call off the strike which began on July 2.

In a letter written to Head of National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, NEEDs Assessment, and Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, by President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, the union insisted that based on the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement and the January 2012 Memoranda of Understanding, MoU, signed by both parties, what was due for 2012 and 2013 was N500 billion, not N100 billion.

The letter read: “We observe that the Committee is so far mentioning only N100 billion. If the implementation is to be related to the funding requirements in the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement and the Jan 2012 MoU, what is due for 2012 and 2013 is N500 billion not N100 billion. Only the provision of this sum will meet the immediate needs of the universities.

“Our Union is very apprehensive of the manner in which the sources of the initial N100 billion to be used for the stimulation of the process are shrouded in secrecy. We believe that monies that already belong to the university system should not be blocked and recycled.

“This will not only be counterproductive but will brew even deeper crises in the system. ASUU will not accept this.

“We are also concerned that a clear procedure or process for assessing the funds by the universities is yet to be defined. This concern is even more germane, given the statement of the Chairman of the Committee (during the last meeting on Monday, August 19, 2013) that the committee is taking some documents to the Due Process Office.

“We hasten to add that while due process must be followed, it is the sole responsibility of benefitting universities to respect all the provisions of the Procurement Act. The meaning of your Committee going to the Due Process Office is that it is the one that will be responsible for awarding contracts.

“We want to make it clear that this will never be acceptable to our union. We believe that monies meant to fund projects in universities should be sent to the universities, just as it is the practice with TETFund.”

The union condemned allocation of construction of 2,500 bed space hostel for N1billion, instead of 3,000 bed space for N1.2 billion.

“We are worried that instead of allocating N1.2 billion each to construct 3,000 bed space hostels to the 10 Category 1 universities, N1.0 billion for 2,500 bed space hostel to the 16 Category 2 universities, N500 million to construct 1,250 bed space hostels in the 12 Category 3 universities and N250 million each to construct 625 bed space hostels in the 13 Category 4 universities, the secretariat has changed that to constructing 1,400 bed space hostels in 25 universities at the cost of N2 billion each. We see no rationale in this.

“Expending N50 billion to construct 35,000 bed space hostels across 25 universities will be ridiculously scandalous since the same amount can be used to construct 125,000 bed space hostels across 51 universities. The standard cost of building a bed space ranges from N200,000.00 to a maximum of N400,000.00.

“This is even more worrisome, given the tangential suggestions made by the chairman that only monies for refurbishment will be sent to universities, while the rest will be handled centrally,” the union said.

The union also condemned the exclusion of 22 universities from the allocation for refurbishment of laboratories and libraries and three universities from the allocation for refurbishment of lecture theatres and lecture rooms.

According to ASUU, 24 universities are denied allocation for construction of libraries and laboratories, while two are denied allocation for construction of new lecture theatres and lecture rooms. 26 universities are denied allocation for construction of hostel.

ASUU, FG Fail To Reach Agreement On Issues

The hope for the re-opening of universities in the shortest possible time was dashed Thursday after the Federal Government constituted committee chaired by the Benue State Governor, Hon. Gabriel Suswan in a meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, failed to agree on the contentious issues.

There were expectations that ASUU could call off the strike after the meeting as the National President of the union Dr. Nasir Fagge had previously said that calling off the strike was dependent upon what the Federal government would place on the table in respect of the implementation of the 2009 agreement.

While speaking to newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, Dr. Fagge said, "Well it was inaugural meeting, so naturally nothing much was achieved. It is just that the chairman (Governor Gabriel Suswan) told us how he wants to carry out the assignment.

"And then he said that he thinks we should have a sub-committee that will liaise with TETFund and National Planning Commission to get more information on the technical report that was submitted by the Needs Assessment Committee and on the basis of that, projects will be identified and will now look for the funding."

On the promise he made that after the meeting the union would take a stand depending on what the government would place on the table, he said, "There is no change any way because the meeting today is just considering one aspect of the agreement, which is funding.

"So what we did today was to have an inaugural meeting on funding and our members nation wide said nothing short of implementation of all aspects of the agreement will make them call off the strike, so like I said whatever meeting we are invited, we will go and give our members information.

“ like I said today’s meeting was an inaugural meeting nothing much was achieved there order than how to go and implementing the Needs Assessment Report which is an aspect of funding aspect of the agreement, so we will wait and see whatever government decides to do with the agreement, we are there."