The federal government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have resolved to carry out a regular review of the progress made in the execution of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) reached by both parties.
This Day reports that the president of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made the disclosure while addressing newsmen at the end of a meeting between the leadership of the union and the federal government on Friday, March 26, in Abuja.
Ogunyemi said that the meeting was fruitful and that progress had been made.
Daily Nigerian also reports that Ogunyemi said the union was satisfied with the periodic review of the agreement so as to prevent tension and resort to further industrial action.
He said:
“Put together, we want to agree that we had fruitful discussions and we have strong hopes that there will be a fruitful and harmonious relationship in achieving the provisions of the MoA of 2020.
“We want to agree that it is a departure from the past because, now, we have agreed on intermittent or periodic review of the MoA so that areas that will create tension will be apprehended before matters degenerate.”
The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, who led the government team, said that both parties discussed every item on the MOA and had reached agreements.
He stated that on the issue of the N30 billion revitalisation fund, the government and the ASUU have looked at the payment and how to streamline the outstanding payment into the national budget or into a special system fund.
Ngige said:
“Also, with regards to the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), the federal government has paid N40 billion to all the unions while the National Universities Commission (NUC) provided a formula, which was used for sharing it to all the university workers.”
Ngige noted that the issue of check-off dues was discussed and also both OAGF and ASUU were asked to go back and look at their records and reconcile.
He added that the AOGF’s office said they had finished the payment and tendered documents in that respect.
