Strike: ASUU, FG reach agreement as Gbajabiamila intervenes

The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU) and the federal government have reached an agreement on the N22.17 billion earned allowances and N30 billion revitalisation fund.

The agreement was reached on Thursday after a meeting between the representatives of ASUU, led by its president, Emmanuel Sodeke, and the government representatives led by the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba.

The meeting was presided over by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The House had on Tuesday resolved to intervene following a motion by Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo). Following the motion, the Speaker announced that he wouldl be meeting the union and FG.

The union had on Monday issued a three-week ultimatum to the government to implement the agreement both parties reached failing which it would embark on strike.

Mr Gbajabiamila in his opening remarks, said strike action should be the last resort, and also criticised the government for failing to fulfil its part of the agreement.

At the meeting, Mr Osodeke said the union had given the federal government several opportunities to fulfil the 2009 agreement and other agreements signed.

He noted that the minimum the union was willing to entertain was that the government should pay the N30 billion agreed as part of the N220 billion tranche for the revitalisation of schools and the N22.17 billion earned allowances.

“We met in August 2021, we returned to our members that they should not be agitated, that they have promised that everything will be sorted out by August. When none of it was implemented, we met again in October 14, we were assured that all these things will be resolved by end of Octobe,.” Mr Osodeke, a professor, said.

According to the ASUU president, the union decided to take drastic action after the inability of the government to implement the agreement.

Mrs Ahmed said the Ministry of Education already gave a directive for the money to be paid. She noted that all the funds will be released within a week.