ASUU to Consider FG’s Offer on Monday, Nigerians Knocks FG over plans to ban ASUU

The National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, will hold on Monday next week to decide on the offers by the Federal Government for it to end its ongoing strike.

The meeting promises to be a decisive one and may determine whether the government would axe the union as being contemplated.

This is just as a member of the NEC told Vanguard in confidence that whatever would be the decision of the union, would be in the best interest of the university system.

However, when contacted, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said his union was yet to officially get any offer from the government’s side.

“We have been negotiating with them through collective bargaining and whatever they have should not be made to us on the pages of newspapers. It should be done the way it is expected to be done. Our main problem with the government is that there is trust deficit. They will say something and will do another thing.

“After the Memorandum of Action was signed last year with them, they were supposed to pay some money in two tranches starting from August last year, but they did not do the needful.

As for other unions suspending their actions, ASUU is not a one man show, we will look collectively at whatever is presented to us. But as at now, nothing has been officially offered,” he said.

However, checks by Vanguard revealed that the coming NEC meeting could lead to the FG coming down hard on the union if it decides to continue with the strike.

READ ALSO: FG wants to reduce Junior Lecturers Salaries to 90k – ASUU Reveals why they Rejected FG Offer

Recall that the union has been on strike since February 14 and three weeks ago, extended it for another four weeks that would terminate next Monday.

Non-teaching staff, under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions, NASU, have already suspended their industrial actions and are set to resume work Wednesday this week.

Also, the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, is holding its NEC meeting this Thursday and would also suspend its action, leaving ASUU as the only university staff union still on strike.

This is just as parents, under the aegis of the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, have called on ASUU to take the offers by the government first, while pending issues are being addressed.

The National President, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, in a chat with our correspondent on Monday, said though the expectations of the striking workers might not be fully met, it is better to have something to hold on to than having nothing.

“I have got information about what the government is offering, regarding salaries and payment of allowances. As our children have been at home for all this while, their future is of essence. The Briggs Committee proposed higher salary, in the region of over one million naira monthly for a professor, but what is being offered is short of that. The truth is that all the sides cannot get everything they want.

“We are losing lecturers to other nations, while valuable time is wasted on strike. There will always be a mid course to take and my suggestion is that ASUU should take the offers first while other issues are being sorted out,” he counselled.

Vanguard reported on Monday that the FG is ready to release money to revitalise the universities, pay Earned Academic Allowance and also jerk up the salaries of the workers a bit.

READ ALSO: “Register Our Union Now,” CONUA, Varsity Union who broke out of ASUU tells FG

It is hoped that the union would accept the offers and avoid being proscribed as being contemplated.

Yesterday, there were plans that FG is mulling a ban on ASUU for failing to call off a protracted strike after several offers made to the academic union were rejected.

Reacting, some Nigerians on social media have described the plan as a rash one, asking the Federal Government to rethink it.

Below are some of the reactions, as seen on Twitter.

A Twitter user @NsikakAnietie said “Short term solution to a long term Problem. It will cos federal schools to open Nation wide but the decay in the educational sector in NIGERIA will be what has not been seen anywhere in the world ever before.”

Another user @Abskilz1 said the proscription “won’t do any good. It’s from frying pan to fire… Govt hv been forced thus far to oblige to ASUU demand. They should just pay their backlogs already. It’s the students who will lose. Eventually after these time waste, they’ll still will pay them. Proscription?? Nahh.”

@Olusegun_saint, on his part, said that it is like pouring petrol over an inferno, adding that “Many would be engulfed by it. It will also affect the outcome of the forthcoming elections. Are we with our thinking caps?”

While in Facebook, Ibrahim mohammed commented: “What is the contribution of ASUU to national development?, ASUU is failure because they have never gone for strike because of lack of staffs in University but only for money.”

Adéwọlé Olúwáshọlá Babátúndé Pompey : “ASUU VS FG:I don’t see anything wrong in protesting or fighting for a better condition, it is an instinctive reaction: it happens without self-conscious.ASUU as an employee, it is natural to complain about it betterment, work conditions and on the general productivity of it work.

“But ASUU don’t realised or having full knowledge of it employer, FG. The employer who does not have direct benefits to what you, the producer (ASUU) are producing.

1. How many of these people, FG or SG even LG have there children or close relatives in this public schools?

2. Over 80 percent of your direct produces( students) don’t get job or propagate what you impact on them.

3. How many researchs works have put to use in recent times.

Also, asking for money while not working is absolutely against the law (trade dispute act section 43).

“We can’t continue like this and pretending we are fighting for the betterment, afterall what is the gain of the students in this strike struggle. Almost if not all are for the self-interest of ASUU.

“ASUU needs to be considerate, for the the sake of the commoners who are the patronisers of it product.THE SUFFERER OF THE TWO ELEPHANTS RIGHT IS WEEDS.”

Ogbeide Clinton :” That’ll be the best thing those lecturers and VC are banning SUG in their schools taking voice from the student but don’t want FG to do the same 

ALLSCHOOL TEAM