At the end of the meeting held on Friday 20th November 2020, the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) and the Federal Government reached a consensus.
The meeting which lasted hours held at the Honourable Minister’s Conference Room was convened as a follow-up to the meeting held on Wednesday, 4th November 2020. Following the demands of ASUU; for funding of public universities revitalization and payment of earned allowances, some conclusions were reached.
The FG agreed for the immediate payment of 25 billion Naira based on the Memorandum of Action (MoA) of 7th February 2019 signed with ASUU. As an alternative to the 50% of the initial amount allotted for the purpose of revitalizing Public Universities (which translates to 110 billion naira), the FG stated that this is not feasible due to lack of funds.
Also urging ASUU to accept 30 billion naira with the reduction in the earlier on Earned Allowances. Between the revitalization and Earned Allowances, the FG offered an aggregate sum of 65 billion naira. The Federal Government reiterated that her offer of 40 billion naira or 35 billion naira, whichever was accepted by ASUU, was for all the university unions: ASUU had proposed that 40 billion naira be paid immediately for all the unions.
On the Earned Academic Allowances or Earned Allowances (EAA/EA), the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris, offered to immediately release 40 billion naira or in the alternative, 35 billion naira to be shared by all the registered Trade Unions in the universities after providing necessary evidence of having earned the allowance. While also stating that he is yet to get a full brief concerning the refund of the excess amount paid to the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellors across Nigeria’s federal Universities have been tasked to submit details of the EAA / EA to the NUC on or before the 30th of November 2020.
Following the agreements met by the FG, ASUU expressed satisfaction over the considerable progress made on the ongoing work between the National University Commission (NUC) and ASUU and with the progress made on the reconstitution of the renegotiation committee as the letters of appointment of the members were tendered.
The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment (HMLE), Dr Chris Ngige, during the meeting said that he had reached an agreement with the Honourable Minister of Education (HME) and the Attorney General of the Federation that work could proceed while awaiting the official publishing of consensus reached by all parties. This was in response to ASUU’s request for a definite date for the inauguration of the visitation panel, the HMLE stated that the inauguration date would only be determined after the reopening of universities. However, the Federal Ministry of Education has been directed to publicize details of the visitation panels, including Terms of Reference and composition of the panels before the end of November 2020.
The meeting ended with ASUU iterating that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) platform has been demonstrated to all Stakeholders and end-users on Thursday 5th November 2020 at the National Universities Commission and will forthwith be met with utmost transparency while carrying all stakeholders along. Furthermore, ASUU addressed the ongoing work with the NUC and NITDA on the issue of Data Center and that its satisfaction with the progress made.