By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal Government has clarified that the 2009 agreement remains the last signed and binding deal between it and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this clarification following reports that government had denied the existence of any agreement with ASUU.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the FGN-ASUU Agreement was last signed in 2009. That agreement remains the most recent signed and binding agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU,” Alausa said in a statement issued Thursday in Abuja.
He explained that while efforts had been made to review the 2009 pact, no subsequent agreement had been formally signed.
“In 2017, the then Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, inaugurated a renegotiation committee to review the 2009 agreement. The outcome of that process was the draft Nimi Briggs Agreement produced in May 2021. However, it is important to stress that this 2021 draft agreement was not signed by the Federal Government,” the Minister clarified.
Alausa noted that his earlier comment that there was no new signed agreement with ASUU, referred specifically to the Nimi Briggs draft.
“The 2021 Nimi Briggs draft agreement was not signed but serves as the latest framework for discussions,” he said. “The 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains the last formally signed agreement.”
He assured that government remains committed to ending the 16-year stalemate with the union.
“The Federal Government remains committed to resolving issues with ASUU in a sustainable and constitutionally backed manner, ensuring our universities remain open for teaching and research,” Alausa stated.
The Ministry urged the public and stakeholders to disregard misinterpretations of the Minister’s remarks, stressing that the Tinubu administration under the Renewed Hope Agenda will continue to engage ASUU constructively.