Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

As a result of the threat of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Federal Government has assured the union of its commitment to addressing all outstanding demands raised by the lecturers.

It said unlike in the past where separate committees handled negotiations for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, the government has now adopted a unified approach to ensure efficiency and coherence in the process.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the plea in Abuja on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the progress of ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and the university-based unions.

Alausa disclosed that the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee has been reconstituted and inaugurated to fast-track talks with both academic and non-academic unions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

According to him, “We are finalising the components of the condition of service that ASUU has proposed. Our counterpart committee is also working to conclude its response and hopefully by the end of today or tomorrow, the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Committee will present the Federal Government’s counter-offer to ASUU.”

He explained that President Bola Tinubu has given clear directives that all efforts must be made to avoid another disruption in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

“The president has mandated us to do everything humanly possible to avoid strike. People at the highest level of government have been working several hours behind the scenes to come up with a robust but affordable response to the union’s demands. These issues have dragged on for over 10 to 15 years, but this administration is determined to resolve them once and for all,” he said.

“In the past, we had three different committees working; one for universities; one for polytechnics, and one for colleges of education,” he explained. “But that was not an efficient way to negotiate. Now, we have one expanded negotiating committee that engages all tertiary institutions and all unions, both academic and non-academic, to ensure a holistic understanding of their needs.”

According to Alausa, about 80 per cent of the union’s requests are similar across the tertiary subsectors, while the remaining 20 per cent relate to peculiar career and institutional needs.

“We have seen all the requests, and we understand their peculiarities. The new committee has started work already and will continue to engage the unions expeditiously to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,” he said.

The minister also urged ASUU and other unions to embrace dialogue as a first option rather than resorting to industrial action.

“We know you have been patient, but please don’t use strike as your first resort. These are issues that have lingered for decades. President Tinubu has shown genuine political will and benevolence towards education. We will resolve this matter comprehensively, respectfully, and in a way the government can afford.”

Alausa highlighted several steps already taken by the government to demonstrate its commitment, including the release of N50 billion for earned academic allowances and the provision of N150 billion in the 2025 budget for the revitalisation of tertiary institutions.

“The president has kept his promises. We have addressed promotional arrears, and the issues of wage awards and allowances have been resolved. By next year, all arrears will be fully cleared, including the 2025 wage award. The government is sincere and committed,” he added.

He assured the union that discussions on the new conditions of service would soon be concluded, noting that this was the final component of the ongoing negotiation process.

“We have resolved most of the concerns raised by the unions, and we are now at the final stage — the conditions of service. We are pleading for patience. The government is truthful and genuinely interested in resolving this crisis once and for all,” he said.

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