As strike enters its fourth month, FG continues to talk with ASUU

The Federal Government has continued to negotiate with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) As the lecturers’ strike enters its fourth month. 

However, a meeting between the striking professors and the Professor Nimi Briggs Committee concluded without a firm agreement, with members planning to reassemble within 24 hours to discuss a draught accord 

On Monday, both sides met at the Nigeria University Commission (NUC) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, for talks (FCT). 

According to a senior union member who attended the meeting, the union made some compromises with the Federal Government, but members were required to break and rejoin within 24 hours to review the new parameters in the agreement.  

The Federal Government set up the committee led by Professor Briggs on March 7 with a three-month mandate to renegotiate the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government agreement. 

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However, The government had tasked the committee to ensure the renegotiation brings an end to the ongoing industrial action by the university lecturers. 

Three months after it was inaugurated, the committee met with the lecturers but also failed to reach a final agreement that could end the strike.

That has also crippled academic activities across government-owned universities. 

ASUU embarked on a nationwide strike on February 14 over the adoption of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as the payment system in the university sector. 

Members also decried the poor funding of universities, non-payment of salaries and allowances of some of their colleagues.

And also the inability of the government to pay earned academic allowance to lecturers, among other issues. 

Several negotiations between the union and the government have ended in deadlock – a situation that condemned by the National Association of Nigerian Students. 

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