President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government
remains committed to honouring promises made to the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) to prevent disruptive strikes, engender uninterrupted academic
programmes and improve funding of education institutions.
The President made the pledge on Tuesday in Abuja while
receiving members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) led by the
Co-Chairs, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and the
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev’d Dr. Samson Olasupo
Ayokunle.
Commending the leadership of NIREC for intervening in the
year-long strike by ASUU and holding consultations with the parties, the
President said no society which wishes itself well neglects its educational
system and all its component parts.
Buhari urged NIREC that in its subsequent consultations with members of ASUU, it is important that they share with them that Government regards them and the service they provide to the nation very highly.
”However, they should be cognizant of the fiscal pressures
that we are currently facing. Nevertheless, we remain committed to honoring our
promises.
”For their part, I would like to encourage ASUU to continue
to work with us towards finding resolutions to the challenges that confront us.
”My administration is committed to this engagement and
dialogue, and I urge them to stay the course towards a joint resolution in the
best interest of our children and nation,” he said.
Responding to issues raised by the leadership of NIREC on
finding sustainable solutions to the perennial and disruptive strikes that
threaten the sanctity and integrity of the nation’s university system, the
President said he had directed his Chief of Staff, the Ministers of Labour and
Employment and Education to make resolving this issue a priority.
The President said he had received briefing from the
Minister of Labour, detailing where we are today given the various interested
parties, and he apprised the meeting as follows:
”To show our commitment, several payments have been made
over the last 6 months, addressing several of the issues you raised – details
of which the Minister of Labour and Employment can make available to you.
”Funding has also been provided for infrastructure
development across several public universities and several of them have begun
drawing down on this facility to improve their level of infrastructure
”Finally, and perhaps the most contentious of issues
regarding the decision to use either the Integrated Payroll and Personal
Information System (IPPIS) or the University Transparency Accountability
Solutions (UTAS).
”As you may be aware, IPPIS was introduced as a means of
blocking leakages. Through IPPIS, the Federal Government was able to save over
N100 billion annually from the core civil service alone. In view of the
resistance from ASUU we devised UTAS which is now on the table.
”I have also been informed that the System Assessment Report
conducted by NITDA has been shared by the Minister of Communications and
Digital Economy to all stakeholders including ASUU, and they are to make the
appropriate modifications and report their recommendations.”
CAN President, while speaking on behalf of the Council, said
the meeting with the President was on the single point of averting strikes in
the universities and the challenges of ASUU, which they consider to be of
national interest.
Dr Ayokunle told the President that from NIREC’s meeting
with ASUU on January 10, 2022, the university lecturers outlined that the bone
of contention between the Union and Federal Government centred on eight issues
including inconclusive renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, UTAS, IPPIS
and distortion in salary payment challenges.
According to him, other contentious issues are visitation
panels to Federal Universities report issues, funding for revitalisation of
public universities, earned academic allowance, state universities and
promotion arrears.
The NIREC leadership, while acknowledging that some of the
issues have been addressed by the Government, appealed to President Buhari to
direct the immediate return to the table to conclude the re-negotiation of the
2009 agreement.
”If the renegotiation process continues to conclusion,
issues that the Government is not comfortable with can be re-negotiated with a
view to reaching only implementable agreements. We believe that with
renegotiation in place, other issues will be adequately addressed along the
line,” the NIREC Co-Chair said.
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