FG ORDERS ASUU BACK TO WORK, ORDERS VARSITY TO OPEN GATE TO STUDENTS AS FROM NEXT WEEK

The Federal Government's patience seems to
have run out with the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) as it has decided to wield
the big stick on its members threatening to
invoke the no-work-no-pay policy to force the
striking lecturers back to work.
Secretary to Government of the Federation,
Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, on Friday ordered
the striking university lecturers to return to their
duty posts while the pending issues werebeing
resolved. He also directed all the governing
councils of the various universities to open the
gates of the institutions to students as from
next week.
The directives followed the inability of both
parties (FG and ASUU) to reach a definite
agreement on the issue earned allowances to
university workers after about two months of
dialogue and negotiations and the threat bythe
union to discontinue talks with government.
ASUU began its current strike on July 1
following failure of government to implement a
2009 agreement between the two parties on
public universities funding.
Anyim gave the directives at a meeting with the
chairmen of the councils and vice-chancellors
in Abuja on Friday.
The Federal Government on the occasion also
disbursed the N30 billion it provided to support
the councils for the payment of academic
earned allowances to lecturers.
Anyim said this was in addition to the N100
billion provided by the government to address
the challenges of infrastructural deficit in the
system.
He said: "Mr. President is fully committed to
bringing the students back to school and
appreciates the patience of parents and
students as government is making every effort
to revitalise the university system.
"By this demonstration of clear commitment to
revitalise the university system, government
hereby urges every (member of) staff of the
nation's universities to return to work as all
issues are being resolved.
"With particular reference to the contentious
issue of earned allowances, every (member of)
staff of the universities that is so entitled
should verify his claim with hisuniversity council
and accordingly get paid," he said.
ASUU had on Thursday foreclosed further talks
with the Federal Government negotiation team,
an indication of a total collapse of negotiations.
SGF said the Earned Allowances was the major
issue in dispute, adding that traditionally,
universities pay deserving staff but "because of
the amount that ASUU now claims as arrears,
government decided to assist the university
councils to pay."
He said the Federal Government did not receive
any computation of amount involved until
February, 2013 and that ASUU demanded for
an outrageous sum of N92 billion arrears for
three years' payment based on percentage
range of between 15 and 20 of personnel cost.
The Minister of Education, Professor Rugayyatu
Ahmed Rufa'i, also said that ASUU actually
went on strike over the initial offer of five per
cent of personnel cost of the entire university
staff.
She said that government had addressed all
other issues raised by the union for them to call
off the strike. She maintained that government
had no money to pay the N92 billion academic
Earned Allowances requested by ASUU,
insisting that it was not feasible in view of the
current state of the nation's economy.
Anyim further said: "After series of discussions
involving the National Assembly; the SGF; the
Chairman of the Needs Assessment Report
Implementation Committee, Governor Gabriel
Suswam; the ministers of Education, Labour;
and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy
and other stakeholders, government has now
provided N30 billion to support the university
councils in settling the Earned Allowances."
He said all other issues of Consolidated Salary
Structure for Academics in Nigerian Universities
(CONUASS II), amendment of Pensionable
Retirement Age of Academics in the Professorial
Cadre to 70 years have been fully implemented.
Anyim said most of the issues contained in the
2009 agreement, which necessitated the
current strike,have been fully met, except for
the Earned Allowances, which ASUU pegged at
N92 billion.
He said, "On July 2nd, 2013, ASUU declared
what it called, 'total and indefinite strike' over
issues it says have remained unresolved
pertaining to an agreement it reached with
government in 2009. It is pertinent to narrate
the genesis of the 2009 agreement. ASUU went
on strike action in 2006 based on their request
for a review of personnel matters, on account of
this, government initiated a Needs Assessment
of the University system comprising federal and
state universities. The negotiations led to the
2009 agreement.
"Some of the issues which bothered on
amendment of pensionable retirement age of
academics in the professorial cadre;
consolidated peculiar allowances (CONPUAA),
exclusively for university teaching staff;
National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS);
setting up of budget monitoring committee in all
public universities.