ASUU strike continues as Senate meeting is deadlocked

An attempt by the Senate to bring to an end the lingering crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government, failed Monday after an eight-hour meeting between both sides was deadlocked.

The two sides failed to agree on lecturers’ earned allowances.

The chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Jibrin Barau, disclosed this Monday night in Abuja.

The Senate had last Tuesday resolved to mediate between the Federal Government and ASUU. The lecturers want improved pay and work conditions.

ASUU declared a warning strike shortly after the Senate’s resolution, over the failure of the government to implement terms of the 2009 and 2013 agreements. The strike ends Wednesday amid fears of a looming indefinite strike.

Monday’s meeting with the union resolved all issues except earned allowances, Mr. Barau, APC Senator representing Kano South, said.

“You can see that we’ve been talking for about eight hours,” said Mr. Barau.

“We have deliberated and, thanks to God, we have resolved all the issues; we have agreed on all issues except one.

“It is about the earned allowances that need to be paid to the university lecturers. The government, due to paucity of fund, proposed a certain amount of money but ASUU thought otherwise; that the money was quite inadequate. The union said it was going back to its members, make consultations and get back to us. We do hope they will come back with good news.”

He however could not say when the next meeting to resolve pending issues would hold.

“Every section in this meeting will go back to their base or constituency and report what transpired and at a later date reconvene to trash out the remaining issues,” Mr. Barau said.

He said the next meeting would.

While declaring the warning strike, ASUU president, Biodun Ogunyemi, said at the University of Abuja on Monday, “Many aspects of the 2013 MoU and the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government have either been unimplemented or despairingly handled.

“The agreements are: Payments of staff entitlements since December 2015, funding of universities for revitalisation, pension, TSA and university autonomy and renegotiation of 2009 Agreement.”

Mr. Barau had told the Senate that ASUU was agitating for the smooth running of public universities and staff welfare.

(PT)