leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) for the teachers to call off their five-month-old
strike have been met by the Federal Government.
The government deadline for the lecturers to go back to work
or get sacked is Monday, but the union has rejected the
government's ultimatum.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs Dr.
Doyin Okupe confirmed yesterday that the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) had opened a N200 billion Revitalisation of
Universities Infrastructure Account (RUIA).
The opening of RUIA is one of the four conditions set for the
Federal Government by ASUU to enable the union call off the
strike.
Okupe said the CBN had confirmed the opening of the account on the receipt of authorisation to that effect from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
He was, however, silent on the union's demand for the teachers' salaries for the five months the strike has lasted.
Okupe said: "On the 13th of November 2013, the office of the
Accountant General of the Federation authorised the Banking
and Payment System Department of the Central Bank of
Nigeria via a letter with reference number FD/OAGF/220/
ADC/1/4DF to open a Revitalisation of Universities
Infrastructural Account with the CBN.
"On the 29th of November, 2013, the CBN confirmed in a
letter reference BPSD/BSD/CON VOL 17/088 to the
Accountant General of the Federation that the said account had been opened and an account number was given.
"Prior to all these, the Director of Funds in the office of the
Accountant General of the Federation, M. K. Dikwa, through a letter reference FD/LP2008/37/C/I/DF dated 8th of November communicated with the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, requesting for the list of federal universities in Nigeria for the purpose of opening a Special Account for them.
"On the 12th November, 2013, the NUC through the office of
the Executive Secretary, Prof Julius Okojie, in a letter
reference NUC/ES/444/VOL15/280 responded to the request
and gave the list of the universities with their various account
numbers domiciled with the CBN.
"Following this, the Accountant General has communicated
with the Executive Secretary requesting for the details of
amount payable to each of the listed Universities which is
currently being processed by the NUC.
"I state categorically that I have personally seen the balance in
the account as of today and confirm that it contains the
requisite amount and disbursement will commence as soon as
on going administrative processes are sorted out."
The President's aide declared that neither Jonathan nor the
administration had credibility issues with the union, adding that the President had always honoured his words and obligations to the Nigerian people as at when due.
He said none of the four conditions given by ASUU remained
unmet, stressing that none was weighty enough to justify the
continuation of the strike.
The other three conditions given by the union are that
•the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement in 2014 be included in the final document as agreed at the discussion with the President;
•a non-victimisation clause which is normally captured in all
interactions of this nature be included in the final document;
and that
• a new Memorandum of Understanding shall be validly
endorsed, signed by a representative of government, preferably the Attorney General of the Federation and a representative of ASUU, with the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as a witness.
Okupe said having met the conditions, there were no legitimate reasons for the strike to continue a day longer.
"We, therefore, call on Dr Nasir Fagge, his distinguished
colleagues in the ASUU leadership as well as other patriotic
members of their union to put all else aside and call off this
strike in the interest of our young men and women who have
been kept out of school for five months and who have no
recourse to any form of compensation whatsoever," Okupe
said.
Via: The Nation
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