Senate wades into FG, ASUU crisis

Following a notice on Monday by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on a one week warning strike if the federal government fails to fulfill all the agreements it reached with the academic body in 2009, the Senate has resolved to intervene in the crisis by opting to reach out to stakeholders to avert the looming strike.

The decision was in reaction to a motion moved on Tuesday during plenary by Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC- Kano North ) on the need to urge the federal government to fulfill agreements reached with ASUU.

Senator Barau who came through a point of order, citing orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Order Book, under matters of urgent national importance, expressed concern over the development which he said if not quickly averted would rob off negatively on the students just as it would affect the academic calendar of Nigerian Universities.

The Senator who decried government’s lackadaisical attitude in resolving the impasse between it and ASUU since the agreement was reached among other recent developments including prompting the universities to key into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which university authorities objected to and considered inimical to the progress and growth of tertiary education in the country.

He urged the Senate as a representative of the people to interfere in the matter by engaging stakeholders in the conflict with a view to finding a lasting solution to it.

Also contributing to the debate on the motion, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa Central) said that government had actually not lived up to its responsibility by not keeping a gentleman agreement with ASUU, adding that ASUU had given a week long notice which gives enough room for any truthful resolution on the matter if there was any atom of sincerity on the part of government.

“ Allowing the strike to hold will give room to students going into other activities during the strike period which are inimical to their good. If we can accommodate some of the demands made by ASUU in the budget it will go a long way, but some of those demands go beyond that, such as the TSA,” he observed.

Similarly, Senator Danjuma Goje (APC- Gombe Central ) who commended Senator Barau for sponsoring the motion which he said is apt and very important, suggested that “Senate should not only call on FG to engage ASUU leadership in reaching a compromise but that the NASS should be involved to make peace.

“We should not allow them to go on strike; we must ensure that ASUU and FG come to mutual understanding on this matter”

While also urging his colleagues to support the motion, Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, urged the Senate President to intervene in the matter and avert the strike.

“A situation where our lecturers are going on strike too often is not a good thing and so we should find a permanent solution,” Ndume said.

In a resolution unanimously adopted by the senators, the Senate urged the federal government to implement all agreements as canvassed by ASUU.

It also resolved that “whatever is agreed to be paid to ASUU and all other proposals as covered by the above resolution should be captured in the subsequent budgets” .

Senate President Bukola Saraki who also thanked the sponsor, directed that all stakeholders, including the Ministers of Labour and Education as well as ASUU leadership should be invited to the National Assembly in order to find a common solution.