FG’s Meeting With ASUU Ends Inconclusive, Negotiation Rescheduled

The reconciliatory meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities has ended inconclusively.

Amid a warning strike declared by the lecturers, both parties failed to reach an agreement at the meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who convened the meeting, led the government delegation while ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, attended alongside other leaders of the union.

Addressing reporters at the end of the discussion, Ngige said the meeting has been adjourned till Monday next week when the government hopes to get back to the lecturers on some of the issues raised.

He stated that agreement was reached on the issues around payment platforms, adding that the government was inclined to the University Transparency and Accountability System (UTAS) payment system developed by the university lecturers.

The nation’s education sector was hit with another setback last Monday when Professor Osodeke announced that the union had embarked on a warning strike.

As a result of the industrial action expected to last one month, academic activities have been grounded in various government-owned universities in the country.

ASUU declared the strike to re-echo its demands of revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned allowances, improved funding of state universities, and promotion arrears for members.

Another concern raised was the replacement of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with the UTAS in the payment of emoluments to members, among others.

A week after the strike commenced, Ngige, while addressing Tuesday’s meeting, said the government was surprised that the lecturers could take such a decision.

According to him, commencing an industrial action was unnecessary at a time when the government is doing its best to resolve the issues raised by the lecturers.