Latest ASUU News On Resumption, ASUU Strike Update Today, 17th August 2022

Latest ASUU News On Resumption, ASUU Strike Update Today, 17th August 2022

Flippstack has compiled the latest ASUU news on the current strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),  a Nigerian union of university academic staff. Latest ASUU News On Resumption 17th August 2022

This means the latest asuu strike news, asuu strike update today, asuu news, asuu latest strike news, asuu latest news on resumption, asuu strike update, and all asuu news stories compiled by Flippstack can be accessed on this page

Below is the latest Asuu strike update, asuu latest news on resumption and ASUU strike news today, Wednesday, 17th August 2022

Latest ASUU News On Resumption 17th August 2022

Strike Continues As ASUU, FG Meeting Ends In Deadlock

The lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) looks set to continue after the association’s meeting with the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government ended in deadlock on Tuesday.

Flippstack understands that a team of the Federal Government led by Nimi Briggs met with the representatives of ASUU at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

However, reports revealed that the team did not place any fresh offer before ASUU, it only begged the union to suspend its ongoing strike.

“The meet with the FG’s team was headed by Professor Nimi Briggs and it started by 12:00pm and ended by 3:00pm. There was no new offer on the table, they simply begged us to call off the strike,” the top ASUU official told The PUNCH.

“The lecturers left angrily, though we cannot really ascertain what was discussed with them as you can see, we were not invited, but the proposal presented was rejected”, a top ministry official also added.

Also speaking at the meeting, a member of the ASUU National Executive Committee stated that the government was “unserious” with the negotiations.

He said, “They are not serious. I can’t go over the details with you because the president is responsible for disseminating the information. The proposal presented was unreasonable. There is no hope in sight.”

On his part, ASUU president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke told The PUNCH that, ‘‘It wasn’t good,” referring to the meeting.

“We didn’t sign anything; they did not come with anything good. I can’t go into details. We will talk to our members first before we talk to the press. We represent our members.’’

ASUU Speaks On When Strike Will End As Union Meets FG Today

The national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke on Monday stated that the union would meet with the Federal Government today (Tuesday).

According to Osodeke, the union and the Federal Government are meeting to address its demands which led to the ongoing strike.

The ASUU President speaking on when the union would end its strike said the decision of the Federal Government would determine the next step.

Osodeke while speaking during an interview on Channels TV said ASUU will call off the strike if the Federal Government agreed to its demands at the meeting.

He said, “If we go into that meeting tomorrow and the government says, what you have bargained for, we are willing to sign, the strike will be called off.”

This is coming after the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ongoing industrial action of the ASUU.

According to Keyamo, ASUU is on strike because of the agreement the PDP-led government signed with the union in 2009.

Keyamo further stated that between 1999 and 2015, when the All Progressives Congress took over power, ASUU has gone on strike 12 times, amounting to 900 days.

PDP Responsible For Lingering ASUU Strike – Keyamo

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ongoing industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

According to Keyamo, ASUU is on strike because of the agreement the PDP-led government signed with the union in 2009.

Keyamo further stated that between 1999 and 2015, when the All Progressives Congress took over power, ASUU has gone on strike 12 times, amounting to 900 days.

The minister stated this on Monday during an interview with Trust Tv.

He said, “The ASUU thing you are talking about. What is the problem of ASUU now? It’s the 2009 agreement signed by the PDP government. They signed agreements with ASUU that they couldn’t fulfil. We had to inherit those agreements and now struggling to renegotiate those agreements.

“Imagine how irresponsible a government can be when they went into agreements with ASUU and signed conditions that they couldn’t fulfil and that is why ASUU is on strike so let us tell Nigerians that ASUU is not on strike because APC signed an agreement with them. It was the PDP that signed the agreement.

“We are not shifting blame; we are going to tackle the problem. Between 1999 and 2015 when they handed over to the APC, ASUU was on strike 12 times. I have the statistics amounting to 900 days.”

PDP Reacts To Keyamo’s Accusation On ASUU Strike.

The spokesperson for the PDP presidential campaign, Daniel Bwala, while reacting to the allegation of Keyamo, noted that the main opposition party was sincere in its negotiation process with the union, unlike the APC government.

Bwala said, “Ask Adams Oshiomhole who was the Lord Lugard of labour unionism of that time. He was very blunt, strong and constant on that. In all of those periods when they were on strike either by ASUU or any of the labour unions around the time of PDP, there was constructive engagement, which means all parties were honest and realistic. The argument ASUU is making on all occasions when they were on strike this present government shift the goal post.”

ASUU: Atiku Comment Is A Reflection Of His Dishonesty – Sowore Group Slams Ex-VP

The campaign organisation for the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore has berated the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his comments on the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, strike.

On Friday the PDP flag bearer at a youth programme to commemorate International Youth Day 2022, stated that he was not pleased with the ASUU strike while also condemning the All Progressives Congress-led government for their inability to resolve the strike.

Atiku insisted that such a situation would never occur in his administration.

Reacting to Atiku’s declaration via a statement signed by the Spokesperson for Sowore 2023 Presidential Campaign organisation, Onyinye-Gandhi Chukwunyere, the group noted that such a statement claiming that an ASUU strike would never occur in his administration was a “reflection of Atiku’s dishonesty with the Nigerian people.”

The statement reads: “We wish to remind Mr Atiku that under the PDP government, with him as Vice President from 1999 to 2007, the nation’s education sector was woefully neglected and grossly underfunded. Indeed, the seeds of the current crisis in the sector were sown by that administration, and it was under its watch that the shameful trend of incessant ASUU strikes began.

“Atiku and his PDP oversaw about seven industrial actions by ASUU, including a major strike in 2003 which kept Nigerian students at home for about six months.

“The PDP’s disdain for the education of Nigerians was so pronounced that its budgetary allocations to education consistently remained below nine per cent of the national budget, and sign off the 25% recommendation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation.”

ASUU: It Is Destructive To Pay Workers On Strike – Dr Salihu Lukman

The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Salihu Lukman has said that it is a destructive culture for the Federal Government to pay lectures despite being on strike.

Flippstack understands that Lukman shared his opinion on the strike during an interaction with journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

The APC chieftain insisted that it was high time to regulate the conduct of ASUU in a way that would benefit the younger generation.

He condemned the inadequate funding of the educational sector insisting that no country advances through private funding of public education.

He blamed the romance of the Ibrahim Babangida regime with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank policies which imposed the Structural Adjustment Programme which he said led to the collapse of investment in education.

FG can fund education without borrowing – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said the Federal Government has money to fund its demand but remains adamant about improving the education sector in the country.

ASUU President, Prof.Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that the union did not tell the Federal Government to borrow to fund its demand.

He said tertiary institutions in the country had suffered enough setbacks, hence the authorities should be awake to their obligations.

He said, “Who is asking them to borrow? They (Federal Government) have the money. If they can release N400bn for trader money, did they borrow that? Is trader money more important than universities being closed?

“If they dedicate N200bn for feeding of children in school, which we don’t see; if they can be thinking of plea bargain with somebody who stole N80bn, they should let Nigerians know that they are not interested in education rather than giving flimsy excuses.

“We are not asking the government to borrow; we say they should fund education.”

Recall that the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, earlier stated that the government can’t borrow N1.1trn to meet ASUU’s demand.

Umahi while receiving members of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund in Abakaliki, the state capital, said, “There is no way the country will go and borrow N1.1trn to meet ASUU’s demand. It’s quite unreasonable. Are their demands genuine? Yes, but we can start little by little.”

Reacting, the ASUU president said, “Is he the spokesman for the government? We will not respond to him.”

In the same vein, the National Association of Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria, President, Mr Haruna Danjuma, stated that the Ebonyi State governor was speaking his own view.

He said, “I believe that’s Umahi’s view and he is not speaking for Mr. President or for the Federal Government. We also have a Minister of Education. So, I take it to be his view.

“Parents are not saying that the Federal Government should borrow such an amount to equip our university and I don’t think ASUU told the Federal Government to borrow money to fund the universities. It’s in the hands of the government to either borrow or not.

FG Did Not Tell Us They Can’t Meet Our Financial Demands – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has said that the government has not at any point in time informed the union that they do not have the financial capacity to meet the union’s demand.

ASUU’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said this in an interview with Punch while reacting to recent comments by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo; and Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, who claimed that it was unreasonable for the Federal Government to borrow over N1 trillion to meet ASUU’s demands.

The union has been on strike since February 14, 2022, after submitting its demands, with the strike entering its 180th day today, Friday.

Speaking on the union demands, Osodeke said: “Do you believe the FG has no money? Is Umahi the FG? Has the Minister of Education said so? Has the Minister of Finance said so? If the person directed to resolve a matter has not said so when interlopers are saying things, who will you believe?

“When did Umahi become the spokesperson for the FG? They can borrow money for Trader Moni, they can borrow money to feed schoolchildren in schools, they can borrow to buy vehicles for the Niger Republic, but they cannot borrow to fund education. We are tired too. If they want to close down all the universities formally, they should.”

When asked if ASUU was willing to bend its demands so the student would return to school, Osodeke stated that the major issue was the government agreeing to come to the negotiation table.

“It is not about ASUU bending its demands; our demands are with the government. They should come to us with what they want. We don’t have to beg them. We agreed on something and let them send it to us. We have reached a negotiation. Let them come and tell us what they can do,” he said. Latest ASUU News On Resumption 17th August 2022

ASUU Unreasonable With Its Demands – Umahi

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has said the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is unreasonable with its demands in order to end the lingering strike.

Umahi said this on Wednesday when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Police Trust Fund led by Dr. Ben Akabueze, at the Government House in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi capital.

The Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum said the Muhammadu Buhari government cannot borrow N1.1 trillion to pay the striking members of the union.

The Governor, however, admitted that the ASUU demands are genuine, adding that the union and the government should come to some level of understanding during negotiation.

He said: “There is no way Nigeria will go and borrow N1.1tn to meet ASUU’s demand, it’s quite unreasonable. Are their demands genuine? Yes. But we can start little by little.

“There must be a commitment on the side of both parties that look, ‘ASUU is not asking for this to take to their houses’ so to say. It’s asking for it for our children, to better the infrastructure, to better the lecturers and the students.

“Yes, but we can start with a fraction of that and then have a programme that will run on the platform of sincerity to address all the lots.

“So, it is important for ASUU to show some understanding and for those who are negotiating on the side of government to also show some understanding.

“Let’s meet ourselves halfway and then open the schools to save the fate of our children.”

The governor, who equally faulted the poor maintenance culture in the country, added that there is a need to work on it.

He said: “But let me also say that most of the time, our people have a low appetite for maintenance of public works.

“No matter how much you deploy to these universities unless the users and the industry regulators begin to treat public infrastructure as their own in the various universities, it will continue to go bad.”

ASUU President Tackles Festus Keyamo Over Comment On Strike

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke, has tackled the Minister of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, over his comment on the ongoing strike.

Naija News earlier reported that Keyamo during an interview on Channels TV on Friday accused ASUU of being unrealistic with their demands.

He stated that ASUU will not blackmail the government to borrow money to pay the striking members of ASUU amidst cash shortages when other sectors of the economy also need attention.

According to Keyamo, ASUU should be begged to shelve their strike so the members can return to work, students can resume studies and the nation’s public universities can be re-opened.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television on Monday, Osodeke expressed disappointment at the comments made by the minister on the union’s ongoing strike.

Osodeke said that the union embarked on the strike over the imminent collapse of Nigerian public universities and not over the welfare of lecturers.

ASUU Declares Ongoing Examinations at Kaduna University illegal, Seeks Cancellation

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared the ongoing examinations at the Kaduna State University (KASU) a violation of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of examinations in academic institutions.

The union made this position known via a statement by the Kano Zone, insisting that whatever examination conducted under the current arrangement must be re-conducted to ensure the sanctity of the process.

The university had on 2 August resumed academic activities since 14 February when its academic staff joined a nationwide industrial action declared by the national leadership of ASUU over unaddressed demands placed before the government.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had earlier threatened to sack all the lecturers who refused to resume, saying the striking lecturers had no disagreement with the state government but the federal government.

The management of KASU has since 2 August announced the resumption of both academic and non-academic activities and commenced the conduct of the examination, which had reportedly been shelved in February, following the lecturers’ action.

However, ASUU has kicked against the conduct of the examination, saying the action violates “the laid down rules and regulations governing the conduct of examinations.”

This was contained in a statement by the National Coordinator, ASUU-Kano Zone, Abdulkadir Muhammad, on Monday. Latest ASUU News On Resumption 17th August 2022

NANS To Engage FG Over Alleged N1.2 Trillion ASUU Demands

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), is set for fresh engagement with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, over alleged reports that the Federal government has no money to meet the demands of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The student body has, however, dissociated itself from a report calling for the sack of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele by some “faceless students”.

NANS Vice President (Special Duties), Comrade Odiahi Thomas Ikhine, who addressed a news conference on Monday in Abuja, said the students were unhappy with comments credited to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, that the government has no money to meet the demands of ASUU.

Keyamo was said to have asked parents to beg ASUU to call off the strike because the government could not afford the 1.2 trillion demands of the Union as proposed by the Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs Committee on the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.

NANS Vice President, Ikhine, said the leadership of the Association would meet with Adamu and Ngige, to know exactly what was happening when after President Buhari gave a directive that the strike is resolved within two weeks and Government officials are coming out to say that there is no money to meet with the demands of the Union.

He vowed that the students would not relent in their efforts to ensure the right thing is done. Latest ASUU News On Resumption 17th August 2022

Reno Omokri Tackles Festus Keyamo Over Comment On ASUU Strike

Former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri has tackled the Minister of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo over his controversial statement on the prolonged strike of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU).

As reported earlier, Keyamo during an interview on Channels TV on Friday accused ASUU of being unrealistic with their demands.

He stated that the government can’t borrow money to pay the striking members of ASUU amidst cash shortages when other sectors of the economy also need attention.

According to Keyamo, ASUU should be begged to shelf their strike so the members can return to work, students can resume studies and the nation’s public universities can be re-opened.

Reno, in a post shared on Instagram, knocked Keyamo questioning how the government will abandon their responsibilities, the crisis they created and ask parents to beg ASUU.

He added that while ASUU is demanding the funding of Nigerian institutions, the government are buy gifting billions to the Niger Republic.

He said: “What Festus Keyamo said about ASUU on Channels is most unfortunate. How can a government, whose duty it is to manage this crisis they created, abandon their duties and ask parents to go and beg ASUU? ASUU has been begging this government. Yet, when Niger begged them, Buhari gave them ₦1.1 billion.

“All ASUU is asking for is funding for our universities. This government that is busy gifting billions to Niger and building railways for them, can’t say they don’t have funds. How much did the Accountant General steal? Almost ₦100 billion. Buhari should use that to fund ASUU”

Parents Should Beg ASUU To End Strike – Garba Shehu

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, has asked parents to beg the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to shelf their strike so that the nation’s public universities can be re-opened.

Shehu also condemned the recent extension of the strike by four weeks, saying that the government is trying to meet some of the demands given by the lecturers.

According to Shehu, the extension of the industrial action came at a time the president is giving full commitment to resolving the ASUU strike.

The presidential spokesman said this on Saturday on the sidelines of the 11th graduation ceremony of Glisten International Academy, in Abuja.

He, however, urged ASUU to give the Federal Government a benefit of the doubt in solving the problems that led to the strike.

Shehu said: “It came like a bolt in the sky. We are shocked because it came at a time the president is giving full commitment to resolving the ASUU strike and having the students and teachers back in the school.

“The extension, I believe, should not have been done because the spirit in which the government now is trying to resolve the problems of ASUU is such that there should also be a benefit of the doubt in favour of the government on the part of ASUU.

“The strike is unnecessarily extended and this should not have been the case.

“I want to advise parents to join the government in begging ASUU to end this strike, as the government is doing its part and parents are worried and they should start talking to ASUU.”

Strike: No Lecturer Has Been Paid Since February – ASUU President, Prof Osodeke

President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke has disclosed that since the ongoing strike which started in February, the government has held the salaries of lecturers.

He disclosed this while speaking on Channels TV this morning August 2. He accused the Federal Government of using hunger as a tool to force the striking lecturers into returning to their classrooms.

According to him, the Federal Government thinks that depriving the lecturers of their salaries will force the university teachers to collapse and end the strike.

“Our salaries have been held, this is the sixth month or salaries have been held. They thought that if they hold our salaries for two or three months we will come begging and say ‘pls allow us to go back to work. But we as a union of intellectuals, we have grown beyond that. You can’t use the force of hunger to pull our members back which is exactly what the government is doing.”

ASUU on February 14 embarked on strike to press home its demands for a better welfare package, revamping of the nation’s education sector among others, a situation that has forced many Nigerian students to be at home.

Worried by the lingering industrial dispute, President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 19 directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to proffer a solution to the challenge and report back to him in two weeks.

The presidential ultimatum will elapse today and ASUU remains adamant until its demands are met. The union had on Monday, August 1, announced a 4-weeks extension of its strike.

Kaduna University Defies ASUU Strike, Commences Second Semester Exams

The management of Kaduna State University (KASU) has resumed academic activities as it commenced second-semester exams for students.

The institution had suspended its activities after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on strike action.

However, after five months of inactivity as ASUU and the federal government could not reach a good end, the school management asked students to resume for the 2020/2021 academic session.

Confirming the development while speaking to Channels Television, the acting Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof. Abdullahi Ashafa said the school does not have any industrial dispute with the local branch of ASUU, hence there is no need to continue keeping the student at home.

The varsity Don warned that there will be severe consequences for students and lecturers who fail to resume classes as directed by the university management. Latest ASUU News On Resumption 17th August 2022

Buhari Is Weak, His Appointees Don’t Answer To Him – Yakasai

A former media aide to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Tanko Yakasai has described President Muhammadu Buhari as weak over the lingering industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Yakasai, in his reaction, wondered why the Minister of Education, who was directed to end the strike, did not act and why there was no sanction for his action.

He further stated that it is shameful that the time frame given by president Buhari did not yield any result.

Yakasai, in a post on his Twitter account, wrote, “I’ve never seen a weak president like Buhari. He gives directives to his appointees and they ignore them without consequences.

“He gave 2 weeks ultimatum for ASUU strike to be resolved, nobody took him seriously & the time has elapsed. Shamefully embarrassing to say the least!”

ASUU strike: Why we adopted voluntary conciliation – Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, yesterday explained that his ministry adopted voluntary conciliation for the resolution of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, instead of arbitration, in order not to delay the resolution process.

Ngige disclosed this while answering questions from journalists at the Joint Workshop on International Labour Standards and Dispute Resolutions, Organised by the Industrial Arbitration Panel,  IAP, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, ILO, in Abuja.

According to him, by the second meeting, most of the issues arising from the 2020 Memorandum of Action, MoA, signed between ASUU and the Ministry of Education with other government agencies involved, were conciliated, leaving out only two.

Ngige said:  “The two outstanding issues were the conditions of service which, according to the 2009 agreement, would be reviewed every four years. The last review was in 2013 and we started the review in 2018 under Wale Babalakin SAN as the chairman of the renegotiation committee. We could not conclude because Babalakin left.

“A new committee, headed by Munzali came. Munzali finished his work and put in his report at the Federal Ministry of Education. All these committees, including the previous Onosode committee, were all internal committees of the Ministry of Education.

‘’They discussed with the unions and gave them offers and counter-offers vis-a-vis what they have said. Once the committees are finished, their products are sent up.

“The major issue here is salary and wage review. That is where they were before ASUU embarked on strike.”

“If a party wants us to transmit a matter back to them to have a second look, you assist them. That is what you call voluntary conciliation.  It is voluntary because if I apprehend and bring all the parties to the negotiation table and a party requests that I should take the matter to NICN, I will do so,’’ he said.