FG reassures on ongoing talks with ASUU, other unions

… tells ASUU, others to halt utilizing onslaught arsenic archetypal resort

…Tinubu committed to keeping students successful school, says Alausa

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The national authorities has reaffirmed its committedness to resolving each outstanding issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and different tertiary acquisition commercialized unions done a broad and coordinated dialog process.

To this end, it has advised the nation’s tertiary instauration commercialized unions to halt utilizing onslaught arsenic their archetypal resort.

Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa disclosed this connected Wednesday successful Abuja portion briefing journalists connected the advancement of discussions betwixt the authorities and the unions.

According to the minister, the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee volition connected Thursday person ASUU’s counteroffer arsenic portion of efforts to finalise a caller agreement.

“Tomorrow, the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institution Expanded Negotiation Committee volition person that counteroffer from ASUU. I judge the committee has reached retired to ASUU and different tertiary instauration unions to commencement giving dates and times erstwhile they volition meet,” Dr Alausa said.

He emphasised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fixed wide directives that “our children indispensable stay successful school”, stressing that the authorities is determined to avert strikes and reconstruct stableness to the nation’s tertiary acquisition system.

“We should bash everything humanly imaginable to debar strikes. That’s what we’ve been moving connected down the scenes. People astatine the highest level of authorities person been moving intensely to get a robust but affordable effect backmost to our commercialized unions,” helium explained.

The curate noted that galore of the issues presently being discussed predate the Tinubu medication by implicit a decennary but assured that the existent authorities possesses the governmental volition to resoluteness them erstwhile and for all.

He recalled that successful the past, antithetic committees handled negotiations separately for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, a strategy helium described arsenic inefficient.

“Before now, determination were 3 antithetic negotiating committees, 1 for each subsector, moving successful silos. But that’s not an businesslike mode to negotiate. Now, we person 1 expanded committee handling each tertiary institutions, some world and non-academic unions. This volition guarantee coordination and faster results,” Alausa explained.

The committee, inaugurated connected Monday, has already held its archetypal meeting. Dr Alausa said the chairman, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, had pledged to enactment “continuously and expeditiously” to scope a mutually beneficial agreement.

The curate appealed to the unions not to edifice to concern enactment portion talks continue.

“Don’t usage onslaught arsenic your archetypal resort. We cognize you’ve been patient, but these issues person been determination for decades. This president believes firmly successful acquisition and has fixed america the governmental volition to hole this successful a holistic, respectful, and affordable manner,” helium said.

Dr. Alausa outlined respective commitments already fulfilled by the government, including the merchandise of ₦50 cardinal for Earned Academic Allowances and the inclusion of ₦150 cardinal successful the 2025 fund to money tertiary instauration revitalisation, to beryllium released successful 3 tranches.

He added that promotion arrears and wage grant issues had besides been addressed, with outstanding allowances expected to beryllium afloat paid by 2026.

“Your promotion allowance issues person been resolved. The DG Budget has confirmed that by adjacent year, each outstanding allowances, including the 2025 wage award, volition beryllium paid. We’ve besides resolved teaching and different allowances. The last aspect, the information of service, volition beryllium concluded soon,” helium said.

Dr. Alausa urged the unions to recognise the sincerity of the medication and its ongoing committedness to improving the payment of world and non-academic staff.

“We’re sincere, truthful, and genuinely funny successful resolving these issues. Over the past 24 months, this authorities has shown bully faith. We request to support our children successful school; that’s the President’s commitment,” the Minister stated.

He besides disclosed that, for the archetypal clip successful Nigeria’s history, the Minister of Justice and Solicitor-General are straight progressive successful the negotiations to ...