Gbadamosi Oladimeji
Against the background of the demand by the Federal Government for the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) to call off its strike before resumption of the next phase of negotiations, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union is ready for negotiations any time.
Ogunyemi made this statement on ASUU official twitter page, while reacting to the statement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, that lecturers should reciprocate the olive branch which the government has offered in paying their salaries.
He added that while on strike, salaries were not part of the issues being negotiated wiith the Federal Government.
Ogunyemi said the way forward is “we should talk; the government should open a space for discussion, as we are ready to discuss and make concrete agreements on those issues we have raised.”
The ASUU president also noted that negotiation would be dependent on how the Federal Government responds to its key demands.
The union’s demands include; earned academic allowances, revitalisation, presidential visitation panel to Federal universities, and proliferation of universities by state governors.
Earlier this month, the panel to Federal universities discussed the proliferation of universities by state governors and government issues in state universities, as establishment of universities has been turned into constituency projects.
He promised not to put an end to its efforts with prejudice to what the body (ASUU) is doing to support the Health sector, and that it will continue to do that.
Ogunyemi also raised renegotiation issue which have been on for more than three years, saying that a stop must be put to it.
“When you put all these five issues listed above together, you will see that we had a genuine reason to go on strike, ” He said.
As at last week, ASUU agreed on continuation of the strike after the second phase of eased lockdown end.
The Nigeria’s sole regulatory agency is charged with the responsibility to advise the President on creation of new universities and other degree-awarding institutions.
