ASUU and FG reach agreement, strike ends next week

Perhaps one of the best news for Nigerian students in 2020. It is that ASUU and FG reach agreement on key issues.

The federal government and ASUU had on Friday met at the conference hall of the Ministry of Labour and Employment over the prolonged strike embarked upon by the union.

Prior to the meeting, the federal government had resolved to show more commitment on ASUU’s demands. As it went, the government did just that.

Accordingly, the government has shifted ground on a number of issues to pave way for school resumption.

What key issues did ASUU and FG reach agreement on?

There are a number of issues, but here are the key agreements

1. FG finally exempt ASUU from IPPIS

Obviously the number one reason for the prolonged strike is the IPPIS saga.

Recall that the federal government had introduced a new payment system to pay its workers, called the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

According to the government, it aimed to address payment fraud, especially having to do with payment of ghost workers in public universities.

As good as the intention is, ASUU rejected the payment platform.

According to ASUU, the IPPIS does not respect the autonomy laws of universities. The union also added that the new payment system does not capture the peculiarities associated with payment of university lecturers any where in the world.

In response, the union said it has developed a payment system. This, it said, captures all the peculiarities as well as university autonomy, called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

Subsequently, the union favoured the use of UTAS over IPPIS for payment of university teachers.

There, the tussle began. The rest is the eight months that followed.

Accusations and counter-accusations became the order of the day. Not forgetting to mention a handful of meetings that ended in deadlock.

Finally, the federal government agreed to exempt ASUU from IPPIS. Subsequently, lecturers will be paid future salaries through their own developed UTAS once all the formalization process which is ongoing is completed.

2. FG agree to pay ASUU members withheld salaries

The second key issue was that of withheld salaries.

When the the strike entered its second month, the federal government put payment of the striking lecturers on hold, especially since they failed to enrol for IPPIS as directed.

Plus the ‘no work, no pay’ policy the government later enforced on the striking lecturers.

ASUU kicked for their salaries to be paid, and it became one of the contending issues of the strike. Subsequently, the union directed its members to seek alternative means of survival since there was no end in sight to the strike.

Several reports even had it that some lectures began taxi and uber services in major cities to survive.

Finally, the government has agreed to pay the salary arrears (February to June) through the old payment platform used to pay workers previously; Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System.

This, the government said, is because UTAS is not ready at the time of these agreements.

3. FG agree to increase amount of Earned Allowances

On the issue of Earned Allowances (EA) of university lecturers, the government initially said it will pay ₦30 billion.

ASUU rejected the sum, noting it was nothing near what the government owed the union.

Finally, the government has agreed to pay ₦35 billion in Earned Allowances (EA) to university staff.

4. FG agree to increase revitalization fund of public universities

A smaller issue for the purpose of this particular strike, though essential, is that of revitalization of public universities.

ASUU had repeatedly called on the federal government to address the infrastructural decay of public universities. This, the union said, was among the reasons majority of Nigerian graduates are unemployable.

Subsequently, the union made it part of the reasons for the strike, calling on government to immediately increase funding for public universities, lest they go on extinction.

The union also added that this was the reason most public universities are unable to compete with some private universities in the country.

In response, the government said it will release ₦20 billion for revitalization of public universities. ASUU rejected the paltry sum allotted to education while other sectors received more funding.

Finally, the federal government agreed to raise the revitalization funds of public universities from ₦20 billion to ₦25 billion.

Those are all the agreements reached at meeting that held between the federal government and ASUU on Friday 20 November, 2020.

So is ASUU strike called off?

ASUU is expected to meet with their various university chapters in the coming days and announce a resolution. Though, its expected to be positive since all issues that led to the strike has been resolved.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities will have various zonal meetings starting Monday to deliberate on these agreements, return to the government immediately, and make an announcement.

When will school resume?

School resumption is now very much around the corner. Moreover, the contending issues between ASUU and the federal government has been resolved, and new agreements reached.

The rest, between now and ASUU announcing they have called off strike is formality. Besides, its expected to happen next week.

After all, FG and ASUU reach agreement on the issues they ordinarily fought over already.

Therefore, Nigerian students can begin preparing for resumption.

Will schools conduct exams immediately?

It is highly unlike there will be any semester exams this year if schools resume now. That’s because students have been home for eight months and they will need some time to get back to academic ways.

What is more important however is that the possibility of schools resuming this year edges even closer.

With a reality of delayed academic progress already, Nigerian students can only look forward with hope and excitement.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog? You might also want to see how to start life as a fresh graduate in Nigeria.

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