Senate Asks Saraki To Intervene In ASUU Proposed Strike

Senate Senators on Tuesday mandated the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to personally lead efforts towards resolving the brewing industrial crisis between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

Senate

Coming barely 24 hours after the lecturers announced one-week warning strike, starting on Wednesday, November 16, the Senate resolved to muster efforts aimed at nipping a protracted ASUU strike in the bud. ASUU had on Monday stated that the warning strike is over the failure of the Federal Government to implement terms of the 2009 and 2013 agreements.The Senate resolution followed a motion on “matter of urgent national importance” with regards to the planned ASUU industrial action by Jibrin Barau (APC-Kano).Speaking at the University of Abuja, ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, said, “Many aspects of the 2013 MoU and the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government have either been unimplemented or despairingly handled.“The agreements are: Payments of staff entitlements since December 2015, funding of universities for revitalisation, pension, TSA and university autonomy and renegotiation of 2009 Agreement.”Backing ASUU in his motion, Senator Barau held that the union was agitating for smooth running of Nigerian public universities and staff welfare which basically formed the terms of the agreements perfunctorily implemented – or not implemented at all – by the Federal Government.In his contribution, Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe), decried the woes suffered by students of public universities whenever lecturers embark on strike, thereby calling for avoidance of ASUU strike.The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume said the Senate as a “stabilising arm” should immediately intervene.For Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa) the Senate should “do all within its powers to totally” stop ASUU strike.He said the Federal Government should reach a middle ground with respect to the demand of the lecturers for universities to be excused from TSA implementation.Meanwhile, the union’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, has stated that there is no going back on its one-week warning strike scheduled to begin tommorrow, adding that the strike would be total.