Federal Government, yesterday, appealed to
Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, to shelve its proposed solidarity strike with
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr.
Nyesom Wike, made the appeal in Abuja, at a meeting with the members of NUT on
the proposed industrial action.
It will be recalled that the NUT on September
26, 2013, gave Federal Government two weeks ultimatum to honour the agreement
they had with ASUU or face total shutdown of the education sector in the
country.
The Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, who
was present at the meeting, said the Federal Government has already implemented
80 per cent of the 2009 Agreement they had with ASUU.
According to Wike, “The 2009 agreements with
ASUU have a number of issues and I want to tell you that the Federal Government
has already met 80% of the critical needs. It is remaining only two major
components which are earned allowances, and they are expecting the Federal
Government to release N400billion annually for infrastructural development.
“ASUU now asked the Federal Government to
develop the universities annually, and it shouldn’t be part of Federal budget
and not part of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, and that the Federal
Government should allocate N400 billion for capital projects in the universities.
This is not realistic, because we have Polytechnics and colleges of education”.
Most universities haven’t accessed their 2012
intervention funds so there are still funds for them.
On earned allowances he said: “The N30billion
was for a start and then if it is not enough we would find a way to pay ASUU.”
The Minister of Labour, Mr. Wogu in his
contribution said, discussion with ASUU is still ongoing, and that dialogue has
not broken down.
“One thing that is clear is that Federal
Government has started implementing the 2009 agreement so if there are grey
areas the appropriate thing to do is to settle it. The thing is that those grey
areas cannot be settled when ASUU is on strike, the grey areas can still be
settled if they go back to the classrooms. I think the issue is going back to
the classrooms, intimidations would not resolve it, but for all hands to be on
deck to resolve it.
“We have got to a stage where even ASUU has
realised that government has done enough towards the implementation of the 2009
agreement.”
About the proposed sympathy strike of NUT he
said: “I want to appeal to you to call off the proposed threat of strike. We
just want to reassure that Federal Government would soon resolve the ASUU
strike. Do not compound what is on ground, but rather suggest solution to
government on how to end the strike.”
In his response the President of Nigerian
Union of Teachers, NUT, Comrade Alogba Olukoya, said the union was not happy at
the state of education in the country.”
Source: Vanguard
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