FG has urged the Senate to promote policies and actions that will discourage ASUU strike.
Newsonline reports that the Federal Government has called for the promotion of policies and actions that would discourage strikes in Nigerian universities.
FG said that Chairmen of University Councils and Senates must rise up to their responsibilities as the highest decision-making bodies on campuses by ensuring good working conditions for all staff of the university.
This was contained in a statement by the Federal Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, on Tuesday, in Abuja, while addressing vice-chancellors and pro-chancellors of federal universities at the National Universities Commission.
Adamu said, “As Chairmen of Councils and Senates – the highest policy and academic bodies in the system – you must consider it your paramount duty to promote policies and actions that will discourage industrial disputes in our campuses. Government will continue to support the physical and academic development of its universities.
Assuring that the “Government will continue to reasonably enhance the working conditions of all university staff, academic and non-teaching.”
Adamu lamented that ASUU has said they will not come to the negotiation table with the Federal government, which according to him will not be possible following the effect of the strike action on the Nigerian students.
He said, “It appears that we are running ahead of the negotiations but not for the right reasons. The President of ASUU has been reported to have said the Union would no longer negotiate with the current Federal Government.
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“This position must be resisted. Government and ASU have no option than to continue talking until our universities have reopened their doors to students, who clearly are the principal victims of the seemingly unending strikes. In the circumstances, therefore, all Councils and Senates of our universities are enjoined to rise up to their responsibilities.”
The Education Minister said ASUU and the Federal government must work together to bring university education in the country back to its glory days as in the 60s and 70s.
According to Adamu, “We must, together, continue to work to restore our public universities to where they were in the 60s and 70s. As the most important officers in our university system, Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors, must demonstrate more commitment to ending the ongoing strike.”
He added that the main reason the Federal government has not fulfilled its 2009 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was dwindling resources.
“The main challenge, as you are fully aware, is dwindling resources available to address all the concerns of the citizenry,” he said.
Nigerian university students have been at home since February, seven months, without education, following an industrial action embarked by universities lecturers body ASUU.
ASUU often blamed the insincerity of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal government as responsible for the seven-month strike.
