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rasputinn (m)
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ASUU Strike: Yar’Adua Seeks Oshiomhole’s InterventionPresident Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has sought the intervention of Edo State Governor Adams Oshimohole to help in resolving the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which had put university students at home since June.
Negotiations between the Federal Government and ASUU had broken down following Federal Government’s insistence that it could not sign any agreement that would be binding on state governors.
Oshiomhole is the immediate past president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
THISDAY learnt that President Yar’Adua met with the Edo State governor last Monday afternoon in Abuja and they discussed all the issues with regards to ASUU strike and the possible way of resolving the matter.
The President was also said to have invited the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, to work with Oshiomhole towards resolving the matter this week.
When contacted, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, confirmed that Oshiomhole was assisting the Federal Government on the issue.
He said: “Yes, I can confirm that Oshiomhole has the mandate of the President to negotiate with ASUU so that this issue can be resolved so quickly but he is working in collaboration with the Education Minister, Dr. Sam Egwu.
“The President recognises that in Labour matters, the Governor of Edo State comes with experience and expertise and is highly respected. That was why the President sought his intervention on this matter together with Dr. Egwu.
“I’m hopeful that there will be positive developments very soon so that the students can go back to school.”
The Chief Gemaliel Onosode-led Federal Government/ASUU Re-Negotiation Committee was appointed by former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, in 2006.
It concluded its work in December last year and came up with a provisional draft agreement.
The conclusion of the re-negotiation coincided with the change of baton at the Education ministry.
ASUU met the new Minister of Education, Dr. Egwu, in January this year and called for the signing of the agreement.
The union gave notice of a warning strike in May to press for the signing of the agreement and later went on a one-week warning strike, which ended on May 31. ASUU also warned that it would go on a total and indefinite strike if the agreement was not signed. The minister invited the union to a meeting on June 19 but ASUU had already resolved to go on strike and this began on June 22.
Since then, interventions by both the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Education, Vice-Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors have been fruitless.
The single term of reference of the Onosode Committee was to re-negotiate the 2001 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which sought to reverse the decay in the university system, reverse the brain drain, not only by enhancing the remunerations of academic staff but also by disengaging them from the encumbrances of a unified civil service wage structure; restore Nigeria universities, through immediate, massive and sustained financial intervention; and to ensure genuine university autonomy and academic freedom.
The 2001 agreement was the product of the 1992 agreement reached between the Federal Government when Prof. Babs Fafunwa was the Minister of Education under military President Ibrahim Babangida and ASUU.
The same Babangida with Prof. Ben Nwabueze as Education minister abrogated that agreement in January 1993 and the FG/ASUU crisis has been on ever since.
President Yar'Adua's argument is that in a democracy, the Federal Government cannot sign an agreement that is binding on state governments.
ASUU, however, says the process that started more than two years ago must be concluded.
The government also says re-negotiating with ASUU when the union is on strike amounts to arm-twisting and has therefore called for at least a suspension of the strike.
But ASUU says it will only call off the strike after the signing of the agreement.
ASUU had demanded that it be paid the same wages as university academic staff in South Africa.
But the Federal Government said it would pay what was referred to as “Africa Average”which meant looking at the wages in various rich and poor countries in Africa and finding the average. This is what is regarded as 109 per cent of their current wages, a claim that ASUU has denied.
 http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=155261
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FBS
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Na wa o. These folks should resolve this thing abeg. For how long will students sit it out at home? And to even think that The president, vice president and Education minister were once lecturers/academics? God help us. |
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dorothy111
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After this strike, more will come, and more and more will follow. Either they resolve it or not, this is just the beginning
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aisha2 (f)
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Yar Adua is seeking help in the wrong place. Oshimole is now a fullflegded politician and no longer a unionist. Oshimole is one of the Governors who has refused to pay the new teachers salary scale and thus teachers in his state are participating in the nationwide strike in primary, secondary and unity schools. He has to put off the fire in his house first. BLOODY SELL OUT
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slap1 (m)
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Is enlisting d services of Oshiomole efficacious? Is d president admitting he is helpless or what? If he is really serious, let him seek d help of Wole Soyinka or Niyi Osundare. . .
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slap1 (m)
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Is enlisting d services of Oshiomole efficacious? Is d president admitting he is helpless or what? If he is really serious, let him seek d help of Wole Soyinka or Niyi Osundare. . .
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Ben-10
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We are tired of staying at home
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okeey (m)
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wht all dis in nigeria assuu done turn themselves to God
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toideve (m)
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may thunder fire both ASUU n fg
wen de r ready may dem let me no
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aieromon (m)
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So Oshiomiole doesn't have his own problems in Edo to deal with? You stupid punks just want to buy time abi  [color=][/color][color=][/color] |
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opuro (m)
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so oshomole don join PDP?
PEOPLE DECIEVING PEOPLE!
I know say God de
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denony (m)
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good idea if true But they should wait till i gag out my fee already abolished by me and my girlffirend  i say wahala dey, as i dey see danger, danger omo wahala dey |
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dafman10
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whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat God punish dem. Dats a ploy to waste our time on signing the gadem document.
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Oluschenco (m)
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ASUU & FG don't care that some people are at home, it's shameful for this useless government of ours
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MrPrsdent (m)
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whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat God punish dem. Dats a ploy to waste our time on signing the gadem document.
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Nezan (m)
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Let us be very honest with ourselves: who is to blamed in the on-going face-off? ASUU, FG or students?
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denony (m)
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How does the strike concern students?
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ZUBBYNWA (m)
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nawa for yara dull so it is now that i just want to start my job as bus conductor that he is planing to end the ASUU strike
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St. Edwin (m)
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Na wa o. These folks should resolve this thing abeg. For how long will students sit it out at home? And to even think that The president, vice president and Education minister were once lecturers/academics? God help us. Just Imagine ooooooooooooooooooooo, Even the former lecturers don't know how to settle their rifts. |
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Specialist900 (m)
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Yar adua went for the commissioning of a university in saudi arabia while ours are still on strike. Can you imagine?
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jswagg4
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What da f*+k do they want from adams?he's a politician now & not a union leader.there is fire on d mountain in edo state(strikes).its disheartening to learn that the entire amount paid as salaries to serving politicians is about 1.3 trillion naira.think of what half this amount would do 4 d university system.to think dat d president,v.president,minister of education were once lecturers, and we still have govt/ASUU crises,is hopelessly frustrating.naija is almost doomed
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toideve (m)
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Let us be very honest with ourselves: who is to blamed in the on-going face-off? ASUU, FG or students?
if u so need an answer then its d STUDENTS mschew! |
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tokunegiye (m)
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why? somebody tell me why we student most keep on paying for the sins of our good for nothing leader. see this president o!
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chelseabmw (m)
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Oshiomhole is nothing good, that man is nothing, am from edo state, teachers are on strike
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mailmalc (m)
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NA WAOOOOO! wonders shall never end in Nigeria. Our president who is literally incompetent and impotent decides to seek the assistance of a unionist cum governor over a critical strike issue like this. I WEEP! |
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iniguy (m)
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This strike should continue untill all the issues are firmly ironed out and resolved, i will be disappointed in ASUU if they suspend the strike at this point, sadly that is the price that this generation of Nigerian students must pay for things to function optimally. The federal government is simply insincere.
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cosmaths (m)
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U go fear now does it mean dat yara dull can nt fink 4 him self dat he is goin so seek help from some1 dat his state is moribund. Plz let dis strike be resolved nd oman go back 2 school cuz so many stuffs has happened since dis messed up strike started.
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gmyguy (m)
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things are rili bad now, but we jus have to be optimistic
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queenchika (f)
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GOD all i care is for d whole tin 2 b over.oshomole,yaraduar,egwu,u all are failures.i feel 4 niger.
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kriscross
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Itś a big shame to think Nigerian leaders do not see education as an important aspect of the society , God help us students so we do not fall into temptations , Yar´adua should stop beating about the bush and hit the nail on the head!
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rells 2 (m)
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wht all dis in nigeria assuu done turn themselves to God
. Doesn't it give you sigh of relief to know that a union can actually stand up to this wicked and heartless rulers and render them uncomfortable by holding them by their gonads;D . The only other group of people that have done that succesfully are the niger delta militants. Now that's progress in the right direction |
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