Why ASUU conditionally suspends strike after 3 months

On Thursday, February 7, 2019, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) officially suspended its lingering strike after three months.

Before then, the union had met with the Federal Government nine times without any concrete resolution to call off the strike.

The only reason why the union leaders have been given for not calling off or suspending the strike has always been that the government was not ready to meet their demands.

But on Thursday, the government finally agreed with the demands of the lecturers.

Speaking after their meeting with the Federal Government, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Prof Biodun Ogunyemi listed eight items contained in the agreement signed by ASUU and the Federal Government on Thursday, February 7, 2019.

Federal Government representatives and leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities during one of their meetings to end ASUU strike Federal Government representatives and leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities during one of their meetings to end ASUU strike Pulse Nigeria

Ogunyemi said, ‘’ASUU has had a total of ten (10) interactive meetings with representatives of FGN which have culminated into a Memorandum of Action of 2019. Highlights of the MoA include the following:’’

1. In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume full implementation of the MoU of 2013.

2. Part-payment of the outstanding arrears of the earned academic allowances; defraying the balance up to 2018 in 4 tranches within 36 months; and mainstreaming further payments of EAA into the annual budgets beginning from 2019 budget.

3. PICA verification and the release of the arrears of salary shortfall at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, not later than 15th February 2019.

4. Strengthening the Consultative Committee on State-owned Universities (CCSOU), inaugurated on Monday, 28th January, 2019 to look into the issues of proliferation, underfunding and governance to consistently deliver on its mandate.

5. Payment of the outstanding EAA arrears of all eligible staff in the University of Ilorin, especially the loyal ASUU members whose appointments were illegally terminated by today, 7th February, 2019.

6. Acknowledgement and appreciation of Government for facilitating the release of the final letter of approval for the granting of operational license to NUPEMCO.

7. Visitation to all Federal Universities would commence tentatively by 11th March, 2019.

8. Provision of documented guidelines on procedures and roles of parties in the process of renegotiating FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009 which would commence not later than 18th February 2019 and end by Friday 29th March, 2019.

In the middle: ASUU President, Dr. Biodun Ogunyemi at the Union's meeting on Saturday, August 12, 2017. ece-auto-gen

These were the reasons the ASUU decided to suspend conditionally with effect from 12.01 a.m on Friday 8th February, 2019.

However, the union may decide to resume the strike again if the government fails to fulfill its part of the agreement as reflected in the 2019 Memorandum of Action.