The Federal Government has taken a step towards resolving the lingering issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by setting up committees to address the union’s demands.
The Vice President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja, stating that the committees will meet on September 11, 2024.
According to Piwuna, the decision was reached at a closed-door meeting between ASUU’s leadership and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, led by Prof. Tahir Mamman. “The meeting is over; committees were set up to resolve the IPPIS/EAA and salary areas stuff. The committee is to meet 11th next week,” Piwuna said.
The development comes after ASUU issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government, threatening to embark on a nationwide strike over the government’s failure to honour the 2009 renegotiated agreement. The union’s demands include improvements in welfare and university funding, as well as halting the proliferation of universities nationwide.
In response to ASUU’s ultimatum, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, noted that most of the issues of contention date back to 1981. However, he assured that the government is attending to the union’s grievances, citing the resolution of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) issue as an example.
“Most of the issues raised by ASUU are being attended to. For instance, the issue of exit from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System has since been resolved by the President. Bureaucracy is the reason for the delay in the implementation of that directive. But by the time we meet on Monday, some of these issues will be discussed and resolved,” Mamman said.
The minister appealed to ASUU to be considerate and open-minded in their approach at the negotiation table, ensuring that the interests of all parties are properly represented. He noted that the President has shown commitment to providing a permanent solution to the issues, which date back to 1981.
“Most of the demands of ASUU started in 1981. And virtually every government has had its fair share of ASUU strikes. But the President made a commitment during the campaign that a permanent solution would be provided this time, and he has shown that in his steps and actions,” Mamman said.
