The Senate through its Committee Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND and Committee on Labour has intervened in ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with a view to find an amicable resolution.
By Haruna Salami
The Senate through its Committee Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND and Committee on Labour has intervened in ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with a view to find an amicable resolution.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Muktari Dandutse, who led the Senate delegation to a meeting with ASUU Friday leadership, reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to mediating in the ongoing dispute between the ASUU and the Federal Government, stressing the urgent need for students to return to school while negotiations continue.
Senator Dandutse said the engagement was aimed at finding a balanced resolution to the lingering impasse, adding that “Returning to school does not mean the issues are closed; it creates a conducive environment for further dialogue”.
He explained that the Senate has drawn up a mediation framework to address the crisis, which includes:
“Immediate negotiations between ASUU and the Ministry of Education and NUC.
“Engagement with the Minister of FCT over unresolved University of Abuja land issues.
“Consolidation of all ASUU concerns for joint discussions with government representatives by Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Advocacy for both immediate and long-term measures to resolve ongoing challenges in tertiary institutions.
Dandutse added that the Senate is determined to ensure that government commitments are met and that academic activities resume without further delay, adding that “Our priority is the future of our students and the stability of our tertiary institutions”.
In his remarks, Senator Isah Jibrin (Kogi East) urged the government to pay “living wages” to our university teachers.
He commended the ASUU members who have decided to remain in the country for their “patriotism”, promising that the Senate will do everything within its power to ensure government improves their condition of service.
Speaking earlier, Senator Karimi Sunday (Kogi West), who is the chairman, Senate Services Committee highlighted the progress made in ongoing negotiations. We understand their grievances and the fact that they have made a lot of progress with negotiation with government we are also interested in moving the negotiation forward and having our children back to school.
Some where they still have disagreement, which ASUU told the committee include government agreement to increase the allowance by 35 percent, which ASUU is still not comfortable with.
“They also talked about taxing some of their allowances like books allowance, conference allowance, journals allowance which we felt that shouldn’t be. If you tax those allowances, it means that wouldn’t be enough for them to meet the needs that those allowances are made for”, Karimi said.
In his remarks, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) underscored the need for sincerity on all sides. He pointed out that issues affecting academic work, such as taxation on essential materials, could be resolved through good faith negotiations. “For example, ASUU believes that if a book costs 100 naira and you collect 15 percent taxes, the 75 naira will not be enough to purchase the book These issues can be resolved if we approach them honestly,” he said.
Oshiomhole further warned that Nigeria must take deliberate steps to retain its brightest minds within the university system. “If our best graduates prefer oil, banking, or customs jobs, then our future as a knowledge-driven nation is in jeopardy. Innovation and technology start in our tertiary institutions,” he said.
Meanwhile, ASUU President Professor Chris Piwuna acknowledged the Senate’s mediation efforts but maintained that the government’s latest salary proposal remains outside the framework earlier agreed upon. “The government’s offer is outside the Nimi Briggs benchmark agreed upon during collective bargaining, and that is why we cannot accept it,” he said.
Piwuna reiterated that any decision to suspend strike action rests with union members. “Action is only taken when prior negotiations fail. Strikes have never been used as a bargaining tactic; they happen because responses have been inadequate,” he explained.
The Senate described the engagement as “constructive and robust,” assuring that it would continue to mediate between ASUU and the executive until a sustainable solution is reached. Another meeting between the union and the government is scheduled for tomorrow, with hopes that an amicable compromise will pave the way for students to return to classrooms.