President Muhammadu Buhari Friday at State House, Abuja, met with the Chairman and select members of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities, promising to engage in further consultations with relevant stakeholders, towards ending the protracted strike by university lecturers, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
BASIC FACTS
- Inspite of instituting a suit against ASUU, President Buhari, held a meeting with University Pro-Chancellors on Friday.
- The president at the meeting promised more engagement to end the lingering ASUU strike.
- The Pro-Chancellors were led by former Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Nimi Briggs.
WHAT WE KNOW
Nigeria President Mohammed Buhari on Friday, held a meeting with Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities.
The president said without necessarily going back on what is already established policy, “I will make further consultations, and I’ll get back to you.”
The Pro-Chancellors who were led to the meeting by Professor Nimi Briggs, said they had come to meet with the President in three capacities: “As President and Commander-in-Chief, as father of the nation, and as Visitor to the Federal universities.”
Professor Briggs added that despite the pall cast by more than seven months of industrial action, “the future of university system in the country is good,” citing as example the recent listing of the University of Ibadan among the first 1,000 universities in the world, a development occurring for the first time.
He commended Federal Government for concessions already made to the striking lecturers, including the offer to raise salaries by 23.5% across board, and 35% for Professors. He, however, asked for “further inching up of the salary, in view of the economic situation of the country.”
The Pro-Chancellors also asked for a reconsideration of the No-Work, No-Pay stance of government, promising that lecturers would make up for time lost as soon as an amicable situation was reached, and schools reopened.
Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nana Opiah, said all the concessions made by Federal Government were to ensure that the industrial action comes to an end, but ASUU has remained adamant.
NOTABLE QUOTES
At the Friday meeting, President Buhari said, “I will make further consultations, and I’ll get back to you.”
Prof Briggs said, they came to meet with Buhari in his capacity as, “As President and Commander-in-Chief, as father of the nation, and as Visitor to the Federal universities.”
The former VC also said, “the future of university system in the country is good,”
CATCH UP
Recall that Prof. Nimi Briggs is the Chairman of the renegotiation committee set up by the Federal Government. Prof. Nimi Briggs committee’s made a recommendation to the government, which has not been implemented, leading to the strike by ASUU.
TAKEAWAY
When President Buhari says he will consult further, one wonders with you?
As a government, you set up a committee, the committee made recommendations which was not rejected, nonetheless, it was not implemented.
Rather than implement agreement reached you chose a unilateral and action.
In the face of government failure, another committee was set up, then before the committee had time to work, you declare that talks has failed and went to court.
If the government believes in consultation, a lot it has already been made. What government need is sincerity of purpose to end the strike, not grandstanding, not it’s poor appreciation of the implication of this prolonged strike on the university system and the future of the country.
