Senate To Intervene In Lingering University Lecturers, ASUU Strike, Faults 2009 Agreement
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said the upper chamber will wade into the ongoing strike action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Speaking with officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Lawan on Tuesday faulted the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.
He said the agreement should not have been signed by both sides because there’s no way government will provide the kind of resources agreed to in the document.
Senator Lawan appealed to the students to avoid confrontation and not disrupt political activities.
NANS has threatened to shut down all federal roads in protest against the strike.
ASUU on Monday said it was extending its strike for another three months.
The lecturers’ union had embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14.
On March 14, the union extended the industrial action by another two months to allow the government to meet all of its demands. A 12-week extension was announced on May 9.
The academics are seeking improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among other demands.
One bone of contention for the academics is the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion.
But the Federal Government has said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount, citing low oil prices during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The agreement was reportedly struck in 2009.
Another is the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The academics have proposed an alternative payroll system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
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SaharaReporters, New York
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