ASUU STRIKE:Return to class FG urges lecturers varsity

The Federal Government on Friday
appealed to striking university lecturers to
return to work, saying a resolution to the
54-day strike was under way.

The Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,
made the appeal in Abuja during a meeting
between government's representatives
and Chairmen of Governing Councils of
both federal and state universities.
Anyim, who read out a number of
agreements held between government and
executives of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities since the commencement of
the strike, said the Federal Government had
shown enough commitment to ending the
impasse.

He said that the lecturers were being
inconsiderate with their demands.
Anyim's reaction, however, came on the
heels of recent threat by ASUU to
discontinue further deliberations with the
Federal Government's negotiation team.

ASUU began its current strike on July 1,
2013 following the failure of the
government to implement a 2009
agreement on public universities funding.

Anyim said, "Government is making every
effort to revitalise the university system
by this demonstration of clear commitment
to revitalise the university system.
Government hereby urges every staff of
the nation's universities to return to work
as all issues are being resolved."

The SGF also inaugurated the disbursement
of N130 bn sourced by the Gabriel
Suswam-led NEEDS implementation
committee and the Federal Government for
revitalising infrastructures within the
university system and settlement of
earned allowances arrears.

Anyim said most of the issues contained in
the 2009 agreement, which necessitated
the current strike had been fully met
except for the earned allowances which
ASUU pegged at N92bn.

He said, "On July 2, 2013, ASUU declared
what it called, total and indefinite strike
over issues it says have remained
unresolved pertaining to an agreement it
reached with government in 2009.

"It is pertinent to narrate the genesis of the
2009 agreement; ASUU went on strike
action in 2006 based on their request for a
review of personnel matters; on account of
this,
government initiated a NEEDS
Assessment of the University System
comprising federal and states universities,
the negotiations led to the 2009
agreement.
"Some of these issues bothered on
amendment of pensionable retirement age
of academics in the professorial cadre,
Consolidated Peculiar Allowances."

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