FG gives committee three months to re-negotiate with ASUU

The Federal Government has inaugurated a seven-man committee to renegotiate the 2009 agreements it had with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions.

ASUU has been on a one-month warning strike since February 14.

Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, urged the members to re-negotiate, in realistic and workable terms, the 2009 agreements with university-based unions.

The committee is chaired by the Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Prof. Nimi Briggs.

Other members are the Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Wukari, Lawrence Ngbale (representing North East); Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth (South West) and Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Sen, Chris Adighije (South East).

The Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Olu Obafemi (represents North Central); Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu (North West); and Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Matthew Seiyefa (South South).

Adamu recalled that the re-negotiation of the 2009 agreements between the Federal Government and university-based staff unions commenced on Monday, February 13, 2017.

According to the minister, the committee will liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders to finalise the position of the Federal Government on the issues in the draft Federal Government/ASUU agreement.

He said the committee would also negotiate and recommend any other issue it deemed relevant to reposition the university system for global competitiveness, including submitting the draft agreements within