ASUU gives FG timeline to implement demands as talks resume

By Akon Etumukwa

As talks reopen between the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government, the union has presented a timetable to the government to ensure all renegotiations are expeditiously carried out.

After over 6 hours of meeting with the union in Abuja, yesterday, the Chairman, Federal Government Re-negotiation Team, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), told reporters, that ASUU submitted a timetable with over 20 issues.

Babalakin, who expressed confidence that both parties were on a good path to concluding all issues on the table, said all the 20 issues submitted by ASUU would be discussed.

Although he could not name the issues submitted by ASUU, the union has been agitating for the payment of the N1.3 trillion revitalizing University infrastructure fund, instituted by the previous administration as well as the Academic earned allowance, among others.

“We had an interlude and that interlude is over and we are now back to where we left it when we had the interlude. So, it is a continuous negotiation for the betterment of the education system,” Babalakin said.

ASUU had embarked on a three month strike on November 4, 2018 after talks with the government broke down, but suspended the industrial action after signing a memorandum of understanding with the government.

According to Babalakin, the memorandum that was signed between the Federal Government and ASUU, which ended the about three month old strike on February 8 was part of the document submitted by ASUU for deliberation.

Meanwhile, ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, who led the Union’s negotiation team, could not comment on its outcome.