National President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said his union is yet to officially receive any offer from the government.
He said government’s offer should not be made to ASUU on the pages of newspapers.
Osodeke stated this while speaking to Vanguard as the union’s National Executive Council prepares to meet on Monday to decide on the the offers by the Federal Government for it to end its ongoing strike.
Osodeke said: “We have been negotiating with them through collective bargaining and whatever they have should not be made to us on the pages of newspapers. It should be done the way it is expected to be done.
“Our main problem with the government is that there is trust deficit. They will say something and do another thing.
“After the Memorandum of Action was signed last year with them, they were supposed to pay some money in two tranches starting from August last year, but they did not do the needful.
“As for other unions suspending their actions, ASUU is not a one man show, we will look collectively at whatever is presented to us. But as at now, nothing has been officially offered.”
Read also: SSANU, NASU suspend strike after meeting with Education Minister
Recall that on February 14, ASUU embarked on a four-week warning strike to protest the non-implementation of its demands by the federal government.
On March 14, the union extended the industrial action by another two months to allow the government meet all of its demands.
On May 9, a 12-week extension was announced.
The union has vowed to persist until its demands are met. ASUU has been on strike with another 4-week extension anounced on August 1.
ASUU’s demands
The union is seeking improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among other demands.
One main issue for the union is the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion, an agreement that was struck in 2009.
The Federal Government on its part said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount and that it will not borrow to meet ASUU’s demands.
Another bone of contention is the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), to which ASUU proposed an alternative, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
In another development, the Federal Ministry of Education. has denied reports that the government is considering the option of proscribing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if the union fails to call off the prolonged strike after an offer was made to it.
The Spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong said the Ministry is not aware of such plans.
Goong said, “We are not aware of such plans. The minister gave all the updates during his press briefing with State House correspondents. If there were plans to take further steps, he would have noted it.
“As regards the next steps, the government has already inaugurated a committee to harmonise the IPPIS, UTAS and UP3; this will ensure that the government will pay with only one payment platform that will harmonise all the technical peculiarities.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
