Striking Nigerian university teachers say they are still consulting ahead of meeting over the offer made to them by the Nigerian Government towards making them return to work.
President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Biodun Ogunyemi, in a phone conversation with PREMIUM TIMES said the union was yet to call its national executive council meeting that will deliberate on the government’s offers.
The federal government tabled the offers to the lecturers during an extensive meeting between Thursday and Friday last week.
The team negotiating on behalf of the teachers rose from the meeting and asked to be given a week for the teachers to consider the offer.
“We are still consulting on the federal government offer and have no solid information as of now” Mr. Ogunyemi said.
The federal government delegation to last week’s meeting was led by Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu .
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported the new offers by the federal government to the lecturers.
According to the report, the government through Mr. Ngige said it would make funds available in September and October to back earlier agreements and to show its good faith.
In respect of a 2009 MoU which non-implementation is at the core of the grievances of ASUU, Mr. Ngige said government proposed a seven-man committee with the union to work out a framework for the implementation.
Mr. Ngige further said payments of earned allowances of the teachers had started as at the time of the meeting, while a pathway was proposed for registration of a universities’ pension management company, another demand of the teachers.
The union declared the nationwide strike on August 13 to protest poor welfare of its members and underfunding of universities in Nigeria.
