ASUU Strike: Lecturers ask FG to release N50bn to show its commitment

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked the Federal Government to release N50b to show its commitment to the agreement on revitalization of public universities.

The union’s president, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi according to Premium Times said on Wednesday, January 17, 2019 as a condition for suspending the strike which started on Sunday, November 4, 2018.

The N50 billion will form the first tranche of the N220 billion government agreed for the project this year and add to the N20 billion earlier released for the year, Premium Times reports.

Strike: ASUU may not honour further calls by FG — National President Pulse Nigeria

Ogunyemi reportedly said ASUU is not asking the government to release the whole N220 billion at once.

‘’The N50 billion they will release now, if you add to what they released, N20 billion for last year, we would have 150 billion left for the rest of the year and that has been spread over the next three quarters.

“That’s what we’ve been saying as our minimalist position,” Ogunyemi said

Recall that ASUU earlier asked the government to pay N220b as a condition for calling off the ongoing strike.

ASUU president, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi ece-auto-gen

This is the second time the striking lecturers are urging the government to show some levels of commitment to the agreement it signed with them.

On Monday, January 14, 2019, ASUU president asked the Federal Government to show evidence that it’s committed to meeting the agreement it made with the union.

Ogunyemi while speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday, January 14, 2019, said the union will communicate its decision on offers made by the government on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

He, however, added that contrary to some media reports, the union did not reject the offer of Federal Government or make fresh demands.

ASUU declared an indefinite nationwide strike on Sunday, November 4, 2018 at its NEC meeting held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure.