By Baron Ike
The work to rule action called by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) entered day three day as the meeting which the lecturers and representatives of the federal government held with the Senate on Thursday, November 17 ending in a deadlock.
The meeting was convened by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to find a way out of the industrial action, and was attended by the Minister of State for Education Anthony Anwuka and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity in the National Assembly.
At the end of the deliberations, the lecturers’ representatives vowed to continue with the warning strike.
On Monday, November 14, ASUU announced a one-week warning strike over the failure of the federal government to implement the agreement it reached with it in 2009. The government had pleaded with the dons to shelve the strike while discussions on their grievances would continue but most of the universities rejected the idea, including the Lagos State University, Ojo.
However, the Senate mandated Saraki to intervene in the matter with a view to persuading ASUU to shelve the strike.
Regardless, at a news briefing jointly addressed by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institution and Tetfund, Jubril Barau, Anwuka and the ASUU leaders at the end of Thursday’s meeting, said the deliberation was fruitful and that solution was in sight.
Barau said: “After the deliberation, we set up a sub-committee that would meet with the Minister of Finance, and Minister of Budget and National Planning towards resolving the issues,” noting that latest early next week, the issues would have been resolved amicably and the strike called off.
Meanwhile, ASUU National President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, has commended Senate’s proactive move in the face-off with federal government over lecturers welfare, particularly the agreement between ASUU and the federal government in 2009 that included the constitution of a re-negotiation committee that would ensure that at least 26 per cent of Nigeria’s annual budget was allocated to education and half of that allocation given to universities.
Also agreed, among others, is that the 2004 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Act, and the National University Commission (NUC) Act 2004 should be amended.