Academic Staff union suspends strike

Academic Staff union suspends strike
Helen Shok Jok, Abuja

The Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria, ASUU has suspended its over two months indefinite strike action with effect from Thursday second February, 2012.

Addressing the media after its emergency National executive Council meeting in Abuja, President of the Academic Union,  Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie said that government has  promised to set up machinery to meet all its demands based on the agreements reached.

Labour Correspondent Helen Shokjok reports that the move to suspend the industrial action would bring respite to parents who were already overwhelmed by the burden of their wards spending longer years than necessary in pursuing their academic dreams.

The reason is simply that no one wants any more interruption in the academic calendar of universities.

Presenting a twelve point communiqué, an off shoot of the agreement signed with the government in 2009,   the President of the Academic Staff Union Of Universities, ASUU, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, said that government had  reaffirmed its commitment to the revitalisation of Nigerian universities through budgetary and non budgetary sources of fund, while state Universities will continue to enjoy special and other statutory interventions.

Government has also agreed to improve significantly the budgetary allocation to education from 2013 to 2020.

Another important milestone achieved by the union is amendment of the Pension and Retirement age of academics on the professorial cadre from sixty-five to seventy years which the ASUU President said the President Goodluck Jonathan had agreed to assent to as soon as the bill is passed not later than the end of February 2012.

“As soon as the legislative procedures for the on the seventy  years Retirement Age foe Academics at the professorial cadre are concluded, the President shall assent to it not later than the end of February 2012. Government undertakes to reinstate Governing Councils of various Universities on or before February 12, 2012, but may make changes in external membership where it deems necessary. The tenure of the Councils thus reinstated shall end in February 2010.”

In order to ensure effective monitoring of the implementation of the agreement, he said,   government shall meet with the Implementation Monitoring Committee on quality basis to assess progress. “Each Council shall set up a Budget Monitoring Committee (BMC) which shall monitor the effective use of the funds in each University. BMC shall, through the Governing Council, send its report on project execution, budget performance and financial discipline to the Implementation Monitoring Committee quarterly. The implementation Monitoring Committee will be expanded to include one representative each of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National planning and the Budget Office.”

While expressing its appreciation to all Nigerians for their support, ASUU said the Industrial action was not aimed at inflicting pains on parents or students rather the decision was taken in the interest of revitalizing Nigerian University, both Federal and State as well as the need to improve the quality of teaching and research in the universities.

The agreement signed between ASUU and government in 2009 is due for review in June 2012.

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