The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed frustration over what it described as the Federal Government’s continued inaction on issues affecting its members, warning that only concrete steps will prevent further unrest in the nation’s universities.
The Federal Government had announced on Thursday that a high-level technical committee, led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, was working on a revised proposal to present to the union.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that the move was aimed at producing a “clean document” as part of efforts to resolve the long-standing dispute over the implementation of the 2009 agreement.
“We’ve decided on a counter-proposal to them. We now close by setting up a high-level technical team to clean up our proposal, come with a clean document,” Alausa told reporters at a press briefing.
However, ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, insisted that the union would not be swayed by promises or vague assurances.
“I truly hope they will come up with something tangible. Our members are tired of words and no action,” Piwuna said in an interview.
The 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, which covers improved funding for public universities, better salaries, and enhanced working conditions for lecturers, has been at the centre of repeated disputes and strikes over the years. ASUU maintains that its full implementation remains the only sustainable solution to ending recurring crises in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
