There are strong indications that the Federal Government may consider proscribing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if it fails to call off the prolonged strike after an offer was made to it.
This is sequel to the approval of an additional N100 billion for the university sector as part of the understanding in the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
It could be recalled that ASUU embarked on a month warning strike on February 14, 2022, and has been rolling over the strike to date, while the other three unions, starting with NAAT, downed tools in March.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had also disclosed that N50 billion was equally approved to be shared by the university-based unions as earned allowances.
The four unions are ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
In a chat with Vanguard, multiple sources in the Presidency and the Ministry of Education said the government is considering proscribing ASUU after an offer was made to the union.
One of the sources said the government has approved a 35 per cent increase in salary for professors and a 23.5 per cent increase for other lecturers, adding that the FG also approved N50 billion for earned allowances for the striking unions, stressing that there is no need for ASUU to continue their strike.
He said: “Because of the priority President Muhammadu Buhari has paid to education, he has approved an additional N100 billion for the universities and about N57 billion for the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
“This is part of the understanding with the unions on the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement. The government has also approved a 35 per cent increase in salary for professors and a 23.5 per cent increase for other lecturers. The government also approved N50 billion for earned allowances for the striking unions.
“It will be unpatriotic on the side of ASUU not to reciprocate the government gesture and call off the strike for our children to go back to school. The government is not also unmindful of the cooperation of SSANU and NASU for being patriotic.
(Daily Independent)
