The Federal Government has denied reports suggesting it disowned existing agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), insisting that the last binding pact between both parties remains the 2009 agreement.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, on Friday, following widespread backlash over comments attributed to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Alausa was earlier quoted as saying no agreement had ever been signed with ASUU, a claim that triggered sharp reactions from the lecturers’ union.
Clarifying the controversy, the ministry explained that the Minister’s comments were misinterpreted.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the FGN-ASUU Agreement was last signed in 2009. That agreement remains the most recent signed and binding agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU,” the statement said.
The ministry added that although a renegotiation committee was inaugurated in 2017, which later produced the draft Nimi Briggs document in 2021, the draft “was never signed” and therefore does not qualify as a binding agreement.
“When the Minister said there had been ‘no new signed agreement’ with ASUU, he was referring specifically to the 2021 Nimi Briggs draft which has not been formally executed,” the statement further clarified.
However, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, faulted the Minister’s earlier remarks, insisting that the union entered into a valid agreement with the Federal Government in 2009.
Speaking on Arise TV, Piwuna said: “We had an agreement with the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua administration in 2009.
That agreement was signed with our then President, Prof. Aloysius Awuzie, and it remains valid.”
He explained that although several renegotiations were attempted between 2017 and 2021, they ended in draft agreements which the government failed to sign.
“It would be incorrect to say we never had any agreement with government,” Piwuna added, stressing that the 2009 deal has yet to be properly reviewed.
The union has repeatedly warned that a nationwide strike may be imminent if government continues to delay the implementation of its demands, especially the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
The Ministry of Education, however, reassured stakeholders that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains committed to resolving the 16-year stalemate in a “sustainable and constitutionally backed manner” to prevent further disruptions in the academic calendar.
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