The Academic State Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday, received the certificate of operation for Nigerian University Pension Management Company, NUPEMCO, from National Pension Commission, the regulatory agency for the country’s pension companies. The refusal of the regulatory agency to approve the teachers’ union’s pension commission for operation was one of the major issues in the dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government. But President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, in a short message sent across to members of the union, yesterday, said ASUU received the certificate at about 11:20 a.m.  The text message read in part:  “Dear Comrade, We collected the final letter of approval of NUPEMCO operational license at about 11.20a.m in PENCOM office. Profound appreciation goes to all who prepared the ground and made this possible.”   While congratulating all our members for this landmark achievement of the union, we also thank them for their patience. The struggle co...

In this interview National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, says lecturers are yet to reach a resolution with the Federal Government on their demands. There is speculation that the union threw out a deal reached with government in an attempt to end the strike by universities academic staff. Why? There was no agreement so we didn’t reject any deal reached with the government. What they gave us at the last meeting was a proposal of our demands. Proposals are not the same thing as agreement. They gave us a proposal and we said we will take the proposal back to our members. What we have been doing in the last one week was to consult with our members and we still convey the report of our consultation to the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Now they are saying we will meet on Monday (last) to discuss the positions. You discussed almost all your demands with government. What are the controversial aspects? The major issue...

The Federal Government says it has released N163 billion to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, said this while addressing newsmen after a closed-door reconciliatory meeting with ASUU leadership on Monday in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the striking lecturers had embarked on strike on Nov. 5, 2018, to press home their demands. ASUU demands included some areas of understanding in the implementation of the Memorandum of Action agreed to in 2017. Some of these areas include shortfall in salaries of some Federal Universities’ workers and lecturers, earned allowances, revitalisation that were part of the 2009 agreement, among others. According to Ngige, “today we have agreed to fund revitalisation. “Government has released about N163 billion from TETFund account to universities. “So, we have gotten some substantial agreement in mos...

 Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has appealed to striking lecturers in all higher institutions across the country to be patient with the Federal Government on the lingering strike action. Adamu said that efforts were ongoing to address their demands. The minister said that progress and development are usually scarce where there is no peace. “Peaceful coexistence is very important in our educational institutions because effective learning can only take place in a peaceful environment.” The Minister further commended management, staff and students of the Polytechnic “for sustaining a peaceful academic environment.” Also speaking, the Rector of the institution, Dr. Lateef Olatunji, pointed out that the 2017/2018 set produced 2,352 HND graduates including 796 full-time students and 1,767 part-time students in the OND category.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Thursday said the ongoing strike would not be called off until the Federal Government fully implemented all the offers it made to the union after their last meeting. The public university lecturers said they were tired of Federal Government’s antics of making unfulfilled promises, insisting that the strike would be called off after they got tangible evidence and concrete actions that the offers made to them by the Federal Government had been implemented. The National President, ASUU,  Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi,  in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents in Lagos on Thursday, said the team of the union that met  with the government on Tuesday did not reach any agreement with the Federal Government. Asked when the strike would then be called off, Ogunyemi said, “Our members said they want to see evidence of satisfactory implementation of all they have proposed before the strike can be called off.” On Tuesday, A...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Wednesday declared that it was yet to reach an agreement with the Federal Government over the lingering strike. President of ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said the negotiations between both parties were still inconclusive. According to Ogunyemi, the team that represented the union at the meeting with representatives of government had no final say over calling off the strike action. Speaking with Tribune, Ogunyemi said: “It was just yesterday (Tuesday) that government sent the proposal to us without waiting for feedback before going to the public that we have reached an agreement. ASUU does not operate in that manner. “The ASUU team that met the Federal Government would have to consult our principal over the proposal which we are already doing. “So, ASUU cannot make a pronouncement on a mere proposal. Until our principal agrees, there is no agreement. And that is what we have always emphasised to government that we are going to ...

Government has finally reached an agreement with leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this to reporters on Monday in Abuja shortly after a meeting with the striking lecturers. This signals hope of resumption for students of various universities under ASUU following a strike which has been ongoing for over two months. However, the union has yet to make a decision whether or not it is calling off the strike for academic activities to resume in the schools. Senator Ngige told reporters after the meeting that the government has met a majority of the demands by ASUU, including the release of N15.4 billion for payment of salary shortfalls. According to him, the government is also in the process of releasing another N20 billion naira for payment of earned allowances for university lecturers. The National President of ASUU, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, also confirmed to reporters that an agreement wa...

The Federal Government has reached an agreement with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Addressing journalists on Monday evening after the meeting with the striking lecturers in Abuja, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said the majority of their demands have been met including the release of N15.4 billion for payment of salary shortfalls. According to him, the Federal Government is also in the process of releasing another N20 billion for payment of earned allowances for university lecturers. Meanwhile, the ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, said the National Executive Committee of the union will review their decisions based on the new commitment by the government. According to him, it is only after that meeting of the ASUU leadership that the union will announce its position on the ongoing strike action. Its been over two months since the union went on strike following the alleged inability of the government to resp...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced its readiness to participate in the 2019 general election. The agreement was reached at a meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and officials of the union in Abuja. At the end of the meeting, Biodun Ogunyemi. president of ASUU, said: “We had a good meeting with the INEC team. We placed on record that our relationship with INEC dated back to 2010 when the former ASUU president, Attahiru Jega was chairman. Even though we are not in the position now to do everything we were doing that time, we have assured them that we will not stand in the way of our members participating in the election as ad-hoc staff. “The decision of our union as at the last time we met was that our members are free as citizens to participate in the electoral process as ad-hoc staff and we have restated that today that we are not going to stop any of our members who wishes to serve in that capacity. “On our own part, ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Labour Unions to allow his administration concentrate on fixing infrastructure in the country rather than distracting it. Buhari, said this during a meeting with the Executive Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the State House, Abuja. He urged the students to continue to plead with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, assuring that he will speak with the lecturers’ body “so that they don’t encroach on your efforts to qualify in time.” He said that he had explained in details while presenting the 2019 budget estimates, the earnings and expenditure and therefore expected the elite to understand the position of the government on certain issues, adding that it is the responsibility of the government to look after the employed as well as the unemployed. He urged the youths to start preparing themselves to lead the country. “There is a tendency for you to think that you can do better than anybody , ...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it has not been briefed on the alleged payment of N15.89bn to universities by the Federal Government, two months after it declared indefinite strike. ASUU’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this in an interview with the NAN on Wednesday in Lagos. Ogunyemi was reacting to reports that the Federal Government had, on December 31, 2018, released N15.89bn to universities.The report stated that the fund was for the payment of shortfall in salaries of universities. “Well, someone actually drew my attention to the report. I have not received any formal letter from the Federal Government conveying such information to us. “The only information I got from the Minister of Labour this afternoon when we spoke was that they have done something concerning our demands; what they have done, I do not know.“The other thing he told me was that there is going to be a meeting between us (ASUU) and government on Monday. “It is ...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities says it has not been briefed on the alleged payment of N15.89bn to universities by the Federal Government, two months after it embarked on strike. The union’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this in an interview with the   News Agency of Nigeria   on Wednesday in Lagos. The unionist was reacting to reports that the Federal Government had, on December 31, 2018, released N15.89bn to universities. The report stated that the fund was for the payment of shortfall in salaries of universities. “Well, someone actually drew my attention to the report. I have not received any formal letter from the Federal Government conveying such information to us. “The only information I got from the Minister of Labour this afternoon when we spoke was that they have done something concerning our demands; what they have done, I do not know. “The other thing he told me was that there is going to be a meeting between...

The protracted strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may soon be called off. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, gave the hint in Onitsha, Anambra State, while speaking to reporters. Ngige revealed that funds had been provided to meet most of the demands of the union.He said the Federal Government would make necessary efforts to ensure that the strike comes to an end this January. According to Ngige, the issues that made ASUU to embark on strike were based on agreement which the union entered into with the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which the administration failed to implement before President Muhammadu Buhari took over power. According to the minister, the Buhari administration is labour-friendly and is always concerned about the welfare of the nation’s workforce.