The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has made a U-turn regarding his earlier remarks on the federal government’s agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), admitting the existence of the deal in 2009.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Thursday, the minister had insisted that no agreement existed between the government and ASUU, adding that the union was merely parading a draft, a claim rejected by ASUU, reports Weekend Trust.
But in a statement released yesterday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the minister acknowledged that the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement remained the most recent signed and binding document between both parties.
According to the ministry, efforts to update the pact have been made, including the establishment of a renegotiation committee in 2017 under the former Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, and the process produced a draft Nimi Briggs Agreement in May 2021.
The statement, which was titled ‘Clarification on minister’s statement regarding FGN-ASUU agreements’, noted, “When the minister said there had been ‘no new signed agreement’ with ASUU, he was referring specifically to the 2021 draft Nimi Briggs document, which has not been formally executed.
“The ministry, therefore, reaffirms that the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement remains the last formally signed agreement. The 2021 Nimi Briggs draft agreement was not signed, but it serves as the latest framework for discussions. The federal government remains committed to ending the 16-year stalemate with ASUU in a sustainable and constitutionally backed manner, ensuring that our universities remain open for teaching and research,” she stated.
The statement urged stakeholders and the public to disregard any misinterpretation of the minister’s earlier remarks, assuring that the federal government remains committed to addressing ASUU’s demands under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Earlier, the President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, said the government could hardly produce any document made available to it after six months.
He said, “In all our dealings with the government, there is one thing that stands out. It’s their lack of keeping records. I want you to say it the way I’m saying it.
“In all our dealings with the federal government, one thing stands out. Their record-keeping is very poor in all our dealings with them,” he said.
Meanwhile, ASUU has demanded that the federal government extend the seven years for the establishment of private universities to other colleges of education and polytechnics.
