Strike: Reps To Present New 'agreement' With ASUU To Buhari

The leadership of the House of Representatives is to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to present a new agreement reached with the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced this on Tuesday, after a meeting between the lawmakers, ASUU and representatives of the federal government.

The tripartite meeting had in attendance the leadership of ASUU led by its President, Emmanuel Osodeke, the federal government represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, and the Lawmakers.

Mr Gbajabiamila, after the closed-door meeting at the National Assembly Complex, said the lecturers presented seven issues, and an agreement was reached.

Although he did not disclose the details of the agreement, the speaker, however, stated that lawmakers will present the agreement to Mr Buhari while ASUU whould do same to their members.

Mr Buhari is currently in the United States where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly.

“There were seven areas where ASUU has presented what we considered to be requisition for them to go back to strike. We have looked at the seven areas, we have more or less agreed on certain things.

“Once that is done, the leadership of this house will await the return of Mr President from the ongoing General Assembly. We will meet with Mr President. We will lay the agreement reached by the legislative arm of government. I am hopeful that Mr President will buy into the agreement and with that, I believe that this matter will be speedily brought to a close,” Mr Gbajabiamila said.

He added that “In the meantime, between now and when Mr President comes back, ASUU itself will go back to its members, armed with the resolution we reached to get their buy-in, and I don’t think there will be any issue from what we have discussed here.”

Also, Mr Gbajabiamila stated that the leadership will on Thursday meet with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Accountant General of the Federation, the Auditor General of the Federation and the National Salaries Incomes and wages Commission.

To finalise meeting of our minds, we have asked that NITDA, Accountant General, Auditor General, National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission — be invited. Unfortunately, it is too late to invite them tomorrow. We will be meeting them on Thursday,” he said.

‘Good development’
In his reaction, ASUU President described the meeting as “a good development.”

He noted that hopefully within the immediate future, “this issue would be resolved.”

The lecturers have been on strike since 14 February over the government’s failure to implement the 2009 agreement and other disputes.

There is also a dispute over the “no work, no pay” policy of the federal government, as it (FG) has vowed not to pay salaries of the lecturers for the period they were on strike.


Furthermore, the federal government had approached the National Industrial (NIC) seeking an order to direct ASUU to return to school.

Justice Polycarp Hamman of the NIC adjourned the case on Monday after listening to the arguments of the counsel on behalf of the parties.

The court is to deliver its ruling on Wednesday.