The prolonged strike of university lecturers could be called off today, Tuesday August 16, following reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reached an agreement on a payment platform, one of the issues responsible for the labor dispute.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says Union is ready to suspend the ongoing strike after agreement was reached with the federal government on their preferred payment platform, the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) at the expense of the Integrated Payroll and personal information system (IPPIS).
The IPPIS as the federal government’s preferred solution to curb rampant fraud and plug leakages in the University system. However, all concerns have been allayed after proper testing and agreement on implementation was reached with the chief of staff
Speaking during an interview, with Channels Television on Monday, the Union President, Emmanuel Osodeko revealed that despite the fact that there had been no serious communication with the federal government beforehand, but that they have been invited for renegotiation on Tuesday.
“We have not had any serious communication though they have invited us for a meeting on one issue, tomorrow (referring to Tuesday), which is the issue of renegotiation,” he said.
Recall that the strike which begun 14th of February 2022 over the alleged failure of the federal government to implement ASUU demands is as at Tuesday 183 days old, leaving students, parents and other major stakeholders frustrated.
“You know that there are seven issues why we are on strike. They are inviting for discussion on issue of renegotiation, tomorrow, which is renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
“The issues of IPPIS and UTAS has been put to rest because the test has been done and it has been agreed with the chief of staff, UTAS will be implemented to cover the university.
“Two, if this government is serious, this strike will not last more than two weeks. If you recall we were going to suppose to go on strike in November, we didn’t start it because NIREC came in and intervened. We conceded to them.
‘’They met with the president, he set up a committee headed by the chief of staff that should resolve this quickly, the world saw it in the press, they did nothing. The president set up the Munzali committee, we met them , nothing, they didn’t come back.
“They set up the Nimi Briggs committee, it’s now more than three months, two months we finished negotiating with them, they didn’t come back. The president directed the Ministry of Education to finish within two weeks, two weeks has passed, they didn’t come back.
“If we go into that meeting tomorrow and government say what we have negotiated, we are willing to sign, the strike will be called off.”