The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has further clarified his position regarding agreements between the Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, insisting that FGN-ASUU Agreement was last signed in 2009.
Alausa, in a statement by the Director of Press and information at the ministry, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, said the 2009 agreement remains the most recent signed and binding agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.
The clarification followed remarks by the minister during an interaction with the press on August on Thursday, in which he dismissed claims that Federal Government signed agreements with ASUU.
According to the minister after the 2009 agreement, in 2017, the then Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, inaugurated a renegotiation committee to review the 2009 agreement.
“The outcome of that process was the draft Nimi Briggs Agreement produced in May 2021.
“However, it is important to stress that this 2021 draft agreement was not signed by the Federal Government,” he insisted.
The statement further clarified that when the minister stated that there had been “no new signed agreement” with ASUU, he was referring specifically to the 2021 draft Nimi Briggs document, which has not been formally executed.
“The Ministry therefore reaffirms that the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains the last formally signed agreement, the 2021 Nimi Briggs draft agreement was not signed but serves as the latest framework for discussions.
“The Federal Government remains committed to ending the 16-year stalemate with ASUU in a sustainable and constitutionally backed manner, ensuring our universities remain open for teaching and research.
“The Ministry of Education urges the public and all stakeholders to disregard any misinterpretations and to note that the Federal Government’s commitment to resolving issues with ASUU remains firm under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the statement read.
Recall that the ASUU, on Tuesday staged protests across campuses nationwide to press home long-standing demands from the Federal Government, two days before a crucial meeting scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.
In public universities across the country, lecturers marched with placards, chanting solidarity songs and warning of an imminent strike if government continued to ignore their plight.
demands made by the lecturers are the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, release of three and a half months withheld salaries, payment of outstanding 25–35 per cent salary arrears, promotion arrears, revitalisation of universities, rejection of the government’s proposed tertiary institution staff loan scheme, and adoption of UTAS over IPPIS to preserve university autonomy.
