ASUU strike update: Why ASUU has not called off the strike - ASUU president Nasir Fagge - The ScoopNG - The ScoopNG http://www.thescoopng.com/ASUU-strike-update-why-ASUU-has-not-called-off-the-strike-ASUU-president-nasir-fagge/

I support ASUU stand on lingering strike.

Larsody: I support ASUU stand on lingering strike.

U are obviously not a student. Prolly a jamb customer.

Hmmmmmmm! Jamb follower? Or what?

by Nasir Fagge
1. Introduction
On Monday 4th November, 2013,
the leadership of our Union had
a meeting with a government
team led by the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The
meeting was necessary because
all the previous government
teams (separately led by the
Minister of Education, Gov.
Gabriel Suswam, the Minister of
Labour and Productivity,
Secretary to the Government of
the Federation and by the Vice
President) had failed to address
the requests made by our Union
ASUU to implement the 2009
Agreement in accordance with
the 2012 Roadmap, and to
commence the process of review
of the said Agreement thereafter.
Gentlemen of the Press, the
benefits of implementing the
2009 Agreement have been
articulated severally in a number
of addresses I made. Suffice to
restate again that the objectives
of the 2009 Agreement are:
i. To reverse the decay in the
University System, in order to
reposition it for greater
responsibilities in national
development;
ii. To reverse the brain drain, not
only by enhancing the
remuneration of academic staff,
but also by disengaging them
from the encumbrances of a
unified civil service wage
structure;
iii. To restore Nigerian
Universities, through immediate,
massive and sustained financial
intervention; and,
iv. To ensure genuine University
autonomy and academic
freedom.
These objectives were made
even more potent by the findings
of Government Committee on the
Needs Assessment of Nigerian
Universities in 2012. The
shocking findings of that
Committee should make any
serious government thoroughly
ashamed of its colossal failings.
At the end of the meeting with
President Jonathan, a message
was given by the government to
the members of ASUU
nationwide. Branches
deliberated and debated on the
message and gave their
responses to the National
leadership of the Union. These
responses were articulated by
the National Executive Council
(NEC) of ASUU and sent to
President Jonathan through the
supervising Minister of
Education.
Gentlemen of the Press, since the
issuance of the Union’s response
to the said letter, the salvos that
have been coming out, allegedly
from the Minister of Education
makes one to wonder whether
the person that is charged with
the responsibility of
superintending over the Nigeria’s
Education system has the
wherewithal to handle such a
vital national assignment. It is my
intention this afternoon,
therefore, to clear the air on the
rumours, lies and mischiefs that
are milling out of government
circle (especially from Ministry of
Education and National
Universities Commission), all with
the intent of misleading the
Nigerian public. I will therefore
speak to the letter from
government and the yet-to-be-
replied response of our Union. I
will establish, to all discerning
minds, that ASUU did not bring
any ‘new conditions’ as claimed
by the Minister of Education and
the Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Public Affairs, Mr
Doyin Okupe. Rather, it is
government that is trying to
avoid taking responsibility.

The Letter from
Government to ASUU
The letter from the Government
was communicated by the
Federal Ministry of Education, ref.
FME/TE/SS.IM/C.I/1/99 and was
titled “Resolutions reached at the
meeting between Federal
Government and Representatives
of the Academic Staff Union of
University (ASUU)”
The content of that letter was not
the judgment of a court: it was
not, and could not be properly
taken as conveying the words of
a commander who must be
obeyed.
Government’s
communication was as
follows:
1. “That the Federal Government
is irrevocably committed to the
overall improvement in the
quality of education especially at
the tertiary level in the country.
2. That there is an overarching
need to find a lasting solution to
the challenges facing university
education in the country through
the development of sustainable,
affordable and implementable
strategies that are within the
revenue profile of government.
3. Arising from the above
understanding, it was further
noted with particular emphasis
on funding that:
(a) Nigerian Universities must be
revitalised for effective service
delivery.
(b) All the provisions in the
extant agreement/MoU for the
revitalisation of the University
system shall be fully implemented
as captured in the 2012 Needs
Assessment Report.
(c) Federal Government shall
mobilise resources towards this
goal.

In view of the above
understanding the
following resolutions were
reached:
i. Federal Government shall
provide funds for the
revitalisation of the University
system in the following manner
in the next six years
S/N0Year Amount(billion) Naria
1 2013 200
2 2014 220
3 2015 220
4 2016 220
5 2017 220
6 2018 220
Total6 years1.3 trillion
ii. A dedicated revitalisation
account shall be opened at the
CBN by Federal Government.
Funds shall be paid into [sic] on a
quarterly basis from which the
Universities will draw. Federal
Government shall ensure that
these funds will be ring-fenced.
iii. That a central monitoring
committee shall be established in
addition to monitor the
implementation of the
revitalisation of the university
and shall submit quarterly report
to the Minister of Education.
iv. Earned allowances: It was
agreed that the Implementation
Monitoring Committee (IMC) shall
monitor and verify the level of
payment already made from the
30 billion Naira released by
Government and report back on
the exact situations in the
Universities on this matter.
Federal Government undertakes
to pay the outstanding balance
after the verification report for
the period 2009 to 2012.
Furthermore a practicable and
affordable strategy will be put in
place to mainstream the payment
of earned allowances in the
University system.
v. Government is willing to
engage the services of the
universities in special
consultancy series such as
geological/solid minerals survey,
biotechnology, environmental
impact assessment, shelter belt
and mineral mapping amongst
others to boost the IGR base of
the Universities.
vi. That FGN requests that ASUU
shall within 7 days call off its four
month strike action.
vii. The above resolutions were
reached in good faith by all the
stakeholders that attended this
crucial meeting.”
In the ordinary meaning of the
word “resolution” the
government’s letter was not a
resolution. The document was a
report of Government’s
understanding of the decisions
or agreement reached on the
matters discussed with ASUU.
Neither side had a final authority
on the correct wording or
substance of the agreement
reached. The title of
Government’s letter
“RESOLUTIONS REACHED AT THE
MEETING BETWEEN FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF
UNIVERSITIES (ASUU) . . . showed
quite clearly that there were two
sides. The agreement between
the two sides would be the
legitimate resolution of any issue.
Furthermore, representatives of
both sides must sign the
document of resolution to make
it valid for both sides. This is why
ASUU, in its reply to Government’s
letter, insisted that ASUU and the
Federal Government should sign
the document of Resolutions. It is
not an added new issue. It is a
simple, required procedure, to be
strengthened by some witness in
whom both sides had
confidence. This is not only
reasonable but required in the
resolution of conflicts. Whether
the Minister of Education
understands it or not is another
matter which we shall not
address here.

The Reply of ASUU to
Government’s Letter
1. The process leading to ASUU’s
reply
The letter from the Government,
signed by Dr. Mac John
Nwaobiala, was delivered at
ASUU National Secretariat on 6th
November, 2013. ASUU had made
it clear to Government through
the Minister of Education, and at
the meetings held with
Government’s representative,
that our Union does not have an
EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT who has
the power to decide for the
Union on crucial matters,
including and especially on trade
disputes and strikes. Similarly, the
internal democracy of our Union
does not permit the Principal
Officers to make decisions on
Union matters of trade disputes
without advice from the National
Executive Council. Allowing
branches to meet, advise and
take positions is the only way we
know how to run a democratic
organisation.
2. The content of ASUU’s reply
Here is the relevant portion of
ASUU’s reply to government’s
letter, as contained in Union’s
letter of 22nd November, 2013
signed by Nasir F. Isa, President
of ASUU:
“On behalf of NEC I hereby
convey the Union’s appreciation
of the expressed concern of Your
Excellency to bring an end to the
crisis occasioned by the poor
implementation of the 2009
Agreement and the 2012
Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) arising therefrom through
your personal intervention.
NEC would have taken a definitive
decision on ending the strike,
especially in view of Your
Excellency’s intervention but for
certain uncertainties, the
clearance of which would have
been decisive in making the
relevant decision. These
uncertainties involve issues on
which ASUU members
nationwide have strong feelings.
They are about certain gaps
evident in Government’s report
as presented to our Union.
Specifically, our members are
requesting that Your Excellency
facilitates the resolution of the
issues as a way of concretising
their understanding of the
agreed positions. This will involve
the following:
(a) That the N200 billion agreed
upon as 2013 Revitalisation Fund
for public universities shall be
deposited with the CBN and
disbursed to the benefitting
universities within two weeks.
(b) That the renegotiation of the
2009 Agreement in 2014 be
included in the final document as
agreed at the discussion with
Your Excellency.
(c) That a Non-victimisation
clause which is normally
captured in all interactions of this
nature be included in the final
document and
(d) That a new Memorandum of
Understanding shall be validly
endorsed, signed by a
representative of government,
preferably the Attorney General
of the Federation and a
representative of ASUU, with the
President of the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC) as a witness.
Your Excellency please be
assured that the Union is willing
to do all that is needful to resolve
the lingering crisis as soon as the
expressed observations of our
members are addressed.
Thank you
Yours in the struggle
Naisr F. Isa, Ph.D
President”

JUSTIFICATION OF ASUU’S
REQUEST TO THE
PRESIDENT
1. The request to disburse the
N200 billion agreed in 2013
within two weeks
If you look at the Government’s
paper of 6 November, 2013, it
states that the Federal
Government shall provide
N200billion in 2013. ASUU’s letter
to the President does not change
that agreement. The National
Executive Committee (NEC) of
ASUU’s position, conveyed to His
Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan through the Minister of
Education only said the
following: “Our members are
suggesting that “the N200 billion
agreed upon as 2013
Revitalisation fund for public
universities should be deposited
in the CBN and disbursed to the
benefitting universities within
two weeks.”
Upon any sincere stretch of
interpretation, it would be
unreasonable to suggest that
this is a new demand. ASUU NEC’s
position that the funds for
revitalisation due to universities
in 2013 should be released
within the first two weeks of
December 2013 is not a new
demand. It is a sensible
suggestion to guard against
implementation failure.
2. The Renegotiation of the
Agreement in 2014
There was an agreement at the
interaction with the President of
Nigeria that the Renegotiation of
the ASUU/FGN Agreement of
2009 shall be undertaken in
2014. ASUU’s position that this
shall be included in the
“Resolutions” is a correct report
of what actually transpired and
was agreed upon, and should be
reconsidered. This is important,
especially in view of the fact that
this agreement took place at the
meeting with the President and
was pointed out to staff of the
Ministry of Education who were
recording the agreements.
ASUU’s asking the restoration of
that agreement in government’s
letter to the Union is not a new
demand but only a demand to
put the records right

Wow!Stalemate!

ASUU pls naah....