Varsity teachers get enhanced pay
AFTER more than eight years in the trenches and no fewer than four strikes, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday signed the agreement, which was initiated in 2001 between the two parties.
The agreement was signed at the boardroom of the National Universities Commission.
But an enlarged meeting of all the trade unions in the universities is expected to hold today to firm up all aspects of the agreements as they concern all the trade unions, which are currently on a four-month old strike.
ASUU and other three unions in the universities on June 22 began an indefinite strike to press the Federal Government to sign and implement all aspects of the agreements it entered into with the teachers in 2001.
However, the immediate past administration set up a re-negotiation committee under the Chairmanship of the then Pro-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, now Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode.
Although the Onosode committee had been having difficulties arriving at an acceptable agreement with ASUU, the intervention of Governor Adams Aliu Oshiomhole of Edo State helped in brokering a deal between the two parties.
Onosode led the government's delegation to the signing ceremony. He co-signed the agreement with Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of federal universities, while ASUU President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, led two other past presidents of the union, Dr. Dipo Fasina and Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano, initialled on behalf the teachers.
The two Ministers of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu and Aishatu Jibril Dukku; the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Prof. A. Afolabi, as well as the Executive Secretaries of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie and Education Trust Fund (ETF), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, were also present.
Although the two kept the details of the contents of the agreement secret, a source privy to the document told The Guardian that the Federal Government may have raised its 40 per cent increment offer on salaries of the university teachers to about 53.5 per cent, while that of the non-academic staff has moved up from the initial 20 per cent to 25 per cent.
Awuzie, in his remarks, warned against the victimisation of any member of staff of the universities for their participation in the four-month-old strike.
He stressed that punishing the teachers would jeopardise all that had been achieved in the past few weeks. Besides, he called on the Federal Government to implement in full the contents of the agreements.
Babalakin, who is the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, agreed with Awuzie that the teachers should not be victimised, but instead called on the vice chancellors to create avenues for peace in the universities.
He pledged that the four months grants withheld as a consequence of the no-work-no pay policy would soon be released and paid to teachers.
Oshiomhole, who brokered the deal, thanked President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for his statesmanship in reversing his earlier stance not to sign the agreement, saying it was in the best interest of all.
For him, what has happened in the last four months has shown that there is no substitute to dialogue.
His words: "Mr. President has demonstrated enough statesmanship, while ASUU has demonstrated a high level of patriotism, at the end of the day; they mean well.
You might not appreciate their style but Nigeria is all that we have.
"For me, the lesson to learn is that at the end of the day, there is no substitute to dialogue. The challenge now is to ensure that this time around, this agreement is implemented to the letter so that next time, ASUU and government will not have this crisis of confidence that has led to this prolonged situation.
I'm satisfied with the outcome and let me thank Mr. President for the rare privilege of being part of the resolution process and be of some help in the service of the only country we have."
From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja
AFTER more than eight years in the trenches and no fewer than four strikes, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday signed the agreement, which was initiated in 2001 between the two parties.
The agreement was signed at the boardroom of the National Universities Commission.
But an enlarged meeting of all the trade unions in the universities is expected to hold today to firm up all aspects of the agreements as they concern all the trade unions, which are currently on a four-month old strike.
ASUU and other three unions in the universities on June 22 began an indefinite strike to press the Federal Government to sign and implement all aspects of the agreements it entered into with the teachers in 2001.
However, the immediate past administration set up a re-negotiation committee under the Chairmanship of the then Pro-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, now Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode.
Although the Onosode committee had been having difficulties arriving at an acceptable agreement with ASUU, the intervention of Governor Adams Aliu Oshiomhole of Edo State helped in brokering a deal between the two parties.
Onosode led the government's delegation to the signing ceremony. He co-signed the agreement with Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of federal universities, while ASUU President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, led two other past presidents of the union, Dr. Dipo Fasina and Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano, initialled on behalf the teachers.
The two Ministers of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu and Aishatu Jibril Dukku; the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Prof. A. Afolabi, as well as the Executive Secretaries of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie and Education Trust Fund (ETF), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, were also present.
Although the two kept the details of the contents of the agreement secret, a source privy to the document told The Guardian that the Federal Government may have raised its 40 per cent increment offer on salaries of the university teachers to about 53.5 per cent, while that of the non-academic staff has moved up from the initial 20 per cent to 25 per cent.
Awuzie, in his remarks, warned against the victimisation of any member of staff of the universities for their participation in the four-month-old strike.
He stressed that punishing the teachers would jeopardise all that had been achieved in the past few weeks. Besides, he called on the Federal Government to implement in full the contents of the agreements.
Babalakin, who is the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, agreed with Awuzie that the teachers should not be victimised, but instead called on the vice chancellors to create avenues for peace in the universities.
He pledged that the four months grants withheld as a consequence of the no-work-no pay policy would soon be released and paid to teachers.
Oshiomhole, who brokered the deal, thanked President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for his statesmanship in reversing his earlier stance not to sign the agreement, saying it was in the best interest of all.
For him, what has happened in the last four months has shown that there is no substitute to dialogue.
His words: "Mr. President has demonstrated enough statesmanship, while ASUU has demonstrated a high level of patriotism, at the end of the day; they mean well.
You might not appreciate their style but Nigeria is all that we have.
"For me, the lesson to learn is that at the end of the day, there is no substitute to dialogue. The challenge now is to ensure that this time around, this agreement is implemented to the letter so that next time, ASUU and government will not have this crisis of confidence that has led to this prolonged situation.
I'm satisfied with the outcome and let me thank Mr. President for the rare privilege of being part of the resolution process and be of some help in the service of the only country we have."
From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja
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