From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which called off its eighth-month-old strike on Friday, has decried that issues leading to the industrial action were yet to be met satisfactorily.
ASUU went on strike in February due to none-implementation of agreement with the Federal government on issues bothering on funding for revitalisation of public universities; Earned Academic Allowances; proliferation of public universities; adoption of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative
payment platform in the university system and renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
After series of failed negotiations, between the government side and the union, the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige dragged the striking lecturers to the National Industrial Court requesting that they be ordered back to work.
The court on 21 September ordered ASUU to call off the strike.
Displeased by the ruling, the union headed to the appeal court to appeal the judgment. However, the appeal court also ruled in favour of the government asking ASUU to resume work.
In statement signed by ASUU National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the union said it called off the strike due to the intervention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and the appeals made by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The statement read: “The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus lyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday, 13th October, 2022.
“The meeting reviewed developments since the Union declared an indefinite strike action on 29th August, 2022.
“NEC noted the series of meetings with the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as intervention efforts of other well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside government and the progress made so far.
“NEC deliberated on the recommendations of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led Committee within the framework of the FGN/ASUU’s Memorandum of Action(MoA) of 2020 on the contending issues that led to the strike action.
“While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute are yet to be satisfactorily addressed.
“However, as a law-abiding Union and in deference to appeals by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and in recognition of the efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other well meaning Nigerians, ASUU NEC resolved to suspend the strike action embarked upon on 14th February 2022. Consequently, all members of ASUU are hereby directed to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12:01 on Friday, 14th October, 2022.”