Finally, FG, ASUU Reach Compromise

ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge

• Union meets this week to review strike

By Damilola Oyedele
The stage for the suspension of the five-month-old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was set Wednesday as the union and the federal government finally reached a compromise with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The union had made the signing of the MoU, which will detail the agreement it reached with President Goodluck Jonathan at a marathon meeting on November 4, a precondition for it to suspend the strike.

The MoU was signed at the conference room of the Ministry of Education in Abuja by the ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge and the Permanent  Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala.   President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),  Abdulwahed Omar, witnessed the occasion.

At a press conference jointly addressed by the supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike and Fagge, Wike said all contending issues between both parties had been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.

He expressed government's appreciation to ASUU for the role it is playing to ensure that Nigerian universities compete favourably with their counterparts around the world.

"ASUU has been on strike for the past five months with an intention to bring about a new lease of life to the universities," he said.
He emphasised that there has been no victor or vanquished in the struggle while the impasse lasted.

The MoU was not read at the briefing, but it was learnt that it might have addressed the most recent demands of ASUU, which came after the meeting with Jonathan. These include a demand for the inclusion of a non-victimisation clause, lodgement of the N200 billion infrastructure revitalisation funds in an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), a detail of how the money would be disbursed  and payment of salary arrears accrued to the teachers during the strike. 

Fagge said the signed document would be presented to ASUU NEC at a meeting to be convened within the week.
"Our union would not take a long time to call the meeting of the second highest decision making body, and sign the document. It is our belief that our members would do what is right," he said. 

He acknowledged the efforts of   Jonathan whom he said made it possible for the fruitful negotiations.
He also expressed appreciation to Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and other Nigerians who intervened at various times to resolve the crisis.

He however called for more urgent attention to the education sector, particularly to the universities, to stem the rot in the system.
He said: "If we ever think that without placing premium on university education, we can get our country out of the doldrums, we are deceiving ourselves. Other countries place premium on innovation  and research. We started the journey with Brazil, Malaysia, today we are nowhere near them.

"If we are willing to fully fund education, provide cutting edge manpower, attract students and stop the loss of capital to countries like Ghana, it will be better for us."  

Fagge noted that if after a 13-hour meeting with the president the government had shown the desired commitment to resolve the dispute before now, the union would not have held out this long.

Omar, whose union brokered the truce between the federal government and ASUU, welcomed the efforts to resolve the crisis between them.

The NLC, following a meeting with the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday had written a letter to the presidency offering to intervene in the industrial dispute, which seemed to be festering.

Omar urged Nigerians to see the struggle of ASUU from a good perspective of fighting to provide a better environment for learning