The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), although composed of intellectuals, from the lowest to the highest, remains a trade union. Naturally, it employs the crude and rough tactics associated with trade unions elsewhere in the world. Over 5 months since then, ASUU and the Federal Government have been fighting what may now be referred to as a battle of supremacy. On the side of ASUU, the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has been assisting in the negotiation. The Federal Government’s team has deployed the best and the highest on ground, the Ministers of Finance, Education and Labour, Secretary to the Government of the Federal (SGF), the Vice-President and then the President himself. It is unusual for the President of a country to be directly involved in negotiations with trade unions. But, perhaps, because Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was, himself, an ASUU member, he joined in the negotiations. So, on 4th November, 2013, the President personally led a team of Government officials in a marathon meeting that lasted for over 13 hours. At the end of that meeting, Government and ASUU agreed on certain items, which included funding for the revitalization of the universities and payment of earned allowances.

In particular, it was agreed that in funding the revitalization of the public universities, a six-year instalment payment was to be done: N200 billion for 2013 and N220 billion for each of the remaining 5 years till 2018. For this purpose, a dedicated revitalization account was to be opened at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). For the Earned Allowances, N30 billion had already been made available with a pledge by Government to make additional funds available, subject to a report by an Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC). Instead, the Union introduced four new conditions referred to as “certain uncertainties”.

They are: that the N200 billion agreed upon as 2013 Revitalization Fund for public universities shall be deposited with the CBN and disbursed to the benefitting universities within two weeks; that the renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement in 2014 be included in the final document as agreed at the discussion with Your Excellency; that a Non-victimization clause, which is normally captured in all interactions of this nature, be included in the final document; and 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 Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as a witness.

ASUU insisted that until the Federal Government complied with the above, the strike action would continue. Although some of these issues were discussed at the meeting with the President, ASUU’s insistence, as listed, was either an after-thought or a ploy to ensure that the crisis was never resolved. Curiously, when the President of ASUU was confronted that, as a matter of fact, a dedicated account had already been open at the CBN, his response was that ASUU had not been informed. The issue of non-victimisation clause, demanded b

ASUU call off the strike. The union has lost public sympathy