Apparently disturbed that negotiation between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) seems to have hit a cul-de-sac, the Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution requesting Senate President David Mark to engage President Goodluck Jonathan and the striking lecturers.
The Senate’s intervention is coming just as it came to the fore that the striking lecturers are demanding N1.5 trillion being a total amount that the federal government ought to have released to the Universities from 2009-2010.
The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Uche Chukwumerije, chairman, Education Committee and sponsored by all the 108 senators. It is entitled: “Appeal to Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off the strike action and return to work.”
Chukwumerije, read out the controversial 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU, saying “all regular federal universities shall require the sum of N1.5 trillion for the period 2009 to 2011.
“This money is to be paid in three installments, 2009 – almost N500 billion; 2010 – almost N500 billion and 2011 – almost N506 billion.
Apart from the N1.5 trillion the agreement also stipulated that “each state university shall require N3.6 million” while “a minimum of 26 per cent of the annual budget should be allocated to education.”
The agreement also stated that “education should be put on First Line Charge” while the Education Tax Act should be amended to its original concept as High Education Fund.”
He noted that the agreement said that “Governing Council of Universities should access and effectively utilize from Education Tax Fund funds for research, training and development of academic staff.”
Other components of the agreement included Salary Structure of Academic Staff of Nigerian universities and earned academic staff allowances.
Those related to earned academic staff allowances include: “Post graduate supervision allowances; teaching practice and industrial allowances; honorarium for external moderation of undergraduate and postgraduate examination system, postgraduate study grants; external assessment of readers or professors, call duty and clinical duty and hazard allowance and excess workload allowance.”
All the senators contributed to the debate and agreed that the 2009 agreement would be difficult to implement because of cost implication.
The Senate also directed its committee on education to liaise with the Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission, ASUU and other stakeholders on how to proffer solutions to stem further strikes.
Speaking, Mark noted that those who signed the agreement then did not represent the government very well, saying “it showed the level of people the executive sends to go and negotiate with ASUU”.
He spoke further, “The Federal government should call those it sent to sign the agreement because it was obvious those sent did not know their right from left and ASUU took advantage of them to sign the agreement. It is obvious that it would be difficult to implement the agreement”.
The Senate President also lambasted the acting Minister of Education, Nysom Wike, describing his statement that the strike would soon end as “uncalled for” as it does not reflect the reality on the ground.
Mark therefore, pleaded with the striking teachers to return to the classrooms in the interest of the students and the nation at large.
