The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the federal government that it is running out of patience over delays in resolving outstanding issues.
ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke Piwuna, in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday, said the union’s patience was being stretched thin.
“We have been consistent in our position. If government keeps dragging its feet, it will only deepen the crisis, we are running out of patience,” he said.
Prof. Piwuna maintained that contrary to insinuations, government’s representatives had always been part of negotiations and signings, citing the 2009 agreement as a clear example.
He reiterated that the minister of education was wrong in saying that there was no official agreement with the union.
“The Federal Ministry of Justice has always had a representative in all our agreements. Its representatives have always attended. In 2009, Chief Gamaliel Onosode represented government, while Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie signed on behalf of ASUU. For anyone to suggest otherwise would be a great disservice to the memory and patriotism of the late Chief Onosode,” he said.
The ASUU president also clarified misconceptions around the more recent Nimi Briggs draft agreement.
He said, “Nobody has said we had an agreement with government in 2021 under the late Prof. Nimi Briggs. It was a proposal that was never signed, the way they want to throw away the Alh. Yayale Ahmed report. The ministry cannot reinvent the wheel. For now, the basis of any further discussion is the Alh. Yayale Ahmed report and time is running out.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education yesterday issued a formal clarification through its director of press and public relations, Boriowo Folasade, insisting that the minister’s statement was misinterpreted.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the FGN-ASUU agreement was last signed in 2009. That agreement remains the most recent signed and binding agreement between the federal government and ASUU,” the statement said.
The ministry explained that in 2017, a renegotiation committee was set up by then education minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu, which led to the draft Nimi Briggs Agreement of 2021. However, the document was never formally signed.
It added; “When the Honourable Minister stated yesterday that there had been ‘no new signed agreement’ with ASUU, he was referring specifically to the 2021 draft Nimi Briggs document, which has not been formally executed.”
According to the statement, while the 2009 agreement remains the last signed document, the 2021 draft provides a framework for ongoing discussions.
“The federal government remains committed to ending the 16-year stalemate with ASUU in a sustainable and constitutionally backed manner, ensuring our universities remain open for teaching and research,” the ministry assured.
