27th September, 2011
As the warning strike by academics of Nigerian universities enters the second day, the minister of labour and productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu has given assurance to Nigerians that the Federal Government will meet the demands of their union, the Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU].
The Minister also revealed that the meeting between the federal government and ASUU which he said is already yielding positive fruits will continue until November 22, 2011.
Wogu told State House Correspondents that ASUU leaders are expected to report to their executive committee members before deciding on whether to call off the strike or not.
But he appealed to the Union to call off the the warning strike. The minister also revealed that the Federal Government delegation negotiating with the Union now includes the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufai and the minister of state for education, Barrister Nyesom Wike.
PM NEWS learnt that after an intensive meeting between the Union, the government delegation and other stakeholders today, the following agreements were reached:
That the existing FGN/ASUU Agreement 2009 Implementation Monitoring Committee should co-opt the following: the Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity and Budget Office.
Also, the committee shall develop strategies and time lines to facilitate the implementation of the agreement, the committee shall conclude discussions on the implementation of the agreement for presentation by November 22, 2011.
Wogu said Federal Government expects ASUU to call off its impending strike following the resolutions.
ASUU President, Professor Ukahchukwu Awuzie said it is the prayer of the Union that all issues in contention in the agreement between the Federal Government and the Union will be resolved amicably.
ASUU had last week issued a notice to embark on a one-week warning strike starting on Monday, 26 September 26, 2011, over the failure of federal government to implement Government/ ASUU agreement reached in 2009.
The Union is among other things, asking the federal government to provide for progressive increase in the annual budgetary allocation to education to 26 per cent from 2009 to 2020.