…we won’t participate, says ASUU
The Federal Government has reconstituted a team to renegotiate the 2009 agreements it entered with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Reconstituting the team, the Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu, said there was the need to speedily bring to a conclusion all outstanding issues in the 2009 agreements.
This, according to the minister, is in order to achieve the desired industrial peace on the nation’s university campuses.
Adamu disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, in a statement by the ministry’s Director of Press, Mr Ben Goong.
He listed the chairman and members of the reconstituted 2009 FGN/University-Based Unions Agreements Re-negotiation Team as Prof. Emeritus Nimi Briggs, who is also the Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, as Chairman.
The members are Lawrence Ngbale, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Wukari, as a member from the North East, Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, as a member from South West.
Also on the list are Sen. Chris Adighije, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University. Lokoja as a member from South East, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna as a member from North-Central.
Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu, Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science and Technology as a member from North West and Matthew Seiyefa, Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University as a member from South-South.
The minister added that the team would be inaugurated on Monday.
He, therefore, called on all advisers and observers in the Federal Government and University-based Unions 2009 agreements Re-negotiation Team to attend the inauguration.
Meanwhile, ASUU, has vowed not to involve itself in any round of renegotiation with the federal government concerning its 2009 agreement with the latter.
The nation’s university lecturers’ body said it would not participate in any further talk with the federal government, saying it had since rounded off a negotiation with the government concerning its demands.
President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, reacting to the federal government’s statement that it had reconstituted a 7-member committee to renegotiate the 2009 demands, vowed that his group would not be a party to it.
Reacting to the government’s action in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, Thursday evening, Prof. Osodeke, said ASUU was waiting for the government to implement its demands so that lecturers go return to the classroom.
“We don’t know what they (federal government) are talking about, we have nothing to negotiate with the government. As far as we are concerned, we have concluded negotiation with the government,” he said.
