ASUU: FG begs NUT to withdraw strike threat

Federal Government, yesterday, appealed to Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, to shelve its proposed solidarity strike with Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, made the appeal in Abuja, at a meeting with the members of NUT on the proposed industrial action.
It will be recalled that the NUT on September 26, 2013, gave Federal Government two weeks ultimatum to honour the agreement they had with ASUU or face total shutdown of the education sector in the country.
The Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, who was present at the meeting, said the Federal Government has already implemented 80 per cent of the 2009 Agreement they had with ASUU.

According to Wike, “The 2009 agreements with ASUU have a number of issues and I want to tell you that the Federal Government, has already met 80% of the critical needs. It is remaining only two major components which are earned allowances, and they are expecting the Federal Government to release N400billion annually for infrastructural development.
“ASUU now asked the Federal Government to develop the universities annually, and it shouldn’t be part of Federal budget and not part of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, and that the Federal Government should allocate N400 billion for capital projects in the universities. This is not realistic, because we have Polytechnics and colleges of education”.
Most universities haven’t accessed their 2012 intervention funds so there are still funds for them.
On earned allowances he said: “The N30billion was for a start and then if it is not enough we would find a way to pay ASUU.”

-vanguard

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) is insisting that the union will shut all schools in the country in solidarity with the university teachers if the federal government does not settle with the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities in a fortnight.

This threat is coming at a time the federal government says it will stand with teachers in moulding future leaders.

President of the union, Comrade Micheal Olukoya said this in Abuja during the NUT World Teachers Day Symposium with the theme, Basic Education in the Era of Local Government Autonomy, A Call for Legislative Caution.

He also used the occasion to ask for their rewards on earth and not in heaven alone.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who represented the president at the symposium, had called on the teachers to be focused on long term benefits of their profession and that the administration is determined to address teacher’s shortage.

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