Vice President Osinbajo Heads FG’s Negotiation Team Over ASUU Strike

Vice President Osinbajo Heads FG’s Negotiation Team Over ASUU Strike

There seems to be no end in sight to the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as the Federal Government says it is still studying the fresh demands made by the union.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Wednesday while responding to an enquiry by one PunchNG correspondents.

The correspondent had, in an SMS, asked if a date had been fixed for a meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU.

Ngige, who responded through an SMS, said, “No. Government side is still studying their new demands with the Vice-President (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo) as mandated by FEC (the Federal Executive Council).”

Although both the Federal Government and ASUU failed to disclose the fresh demands by the university teachers, there were reports on Wednesday that the union asked the Federal Government to pay the shortfall in salaries in the universities.

The reports also indicated that the union wanted universities to manage their internally generated revenue and grant a waiver to Universities Pension Management Company.

At the August 17 meeting with ASUU, the Federal Government rejected the demand of ASUU that universities should be exempted from the Treasury Single Account.

ASUU, on August 13, began a nationwide strike over the failure of the government to implement an agreement it reached with the union in 2009.

The union also alleged that the Federal Government did not implement the Memorandum of Understanding the two sides signed in 2013.