FG reaffirms commitment to resolving ASUU issues permanently
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By Joseph Erunke
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that it is committed to resolving all outstanding issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a sustainable and permanent manner, in line with the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, emphasised that President Tinubu has been deliberate and meticulous in addressing Nigeria’s challenges, sector by sector, with long-term sustainability as the goal.
“The President promised Nigerians during his campaign that he would not lie to them. He pledged to fix this country’s problems and position it for sustainability for decades to come. His approach is not superficial but geared towards permanent solutions, and that is exactly what we are doing with ASUU,” the Minister stated.
He dismissed media reports suggesting a scheduled meeting with ASUU on Thursday, clarifying that the government has maintained consistent engagements with the union and its leadership.
According to him, the most recent engagement took place the previous week.
The Minister explained that while ASUU has submitted proposals through the Yayale Ahmed-led committee, the Federal Government convened a high-level meeting to deliberate on the proposals line by line.
Present at the meeting, according to him, were the Minister of State for Education, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, the Solicitor General of the Federation, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, as well as the Permanent Secretaries of Education and Labour.
Others, he said, were the Executive Secretaries of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund); the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission; and the Director-General of the Budget Office.
He disclosed that a seven-member technical team has been set up, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, to harmonize the government’s counter-proposal.
The team includes representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Labour, Education, NUC, TETFund, Salaries and Wages Commission, and the Budget Office, with the Director of University Education serving as secretary.
“We want this process done constitutionally, truthfully, and sustainably. Previous agreements with ASUU were never signed by the government, including the 2021 draft agreement.
“This time, the President has directed that whatever agreement we reach must be implementable and financially realistic,” he explained.
He further assured that the Tinubu administration would not sign any “bogus” or unsustainable agreements but would instead ensure that every clause is actionable and feasible.
Reiterating the government’s goodwill towards ASUU and other academic unions, the Minister said:“ASUU and other unions are partners in progress. We now have a responsive government under President Bola Tinubu.
“Nigerians can rest assured that this administration is fully committed to keeping our children in school and ensuring uninterrupted academic activities in our institutions.”
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