By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has clarified that the Federal Government has no binding agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), stressing that what exists is only a draft document.
Alausa, who spoke in Abuja on Thursday while addressing journalists on the ongoing ASUU protests across the country, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu is determined to resolve the long-standing dispute in a sustainable manner.
“Contrary to the impression by some Nigerians, the government had never signed any binding agreement with ASUU. What we have is a draft,” he stated.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the issues raised by the union, insisting that the current administration would not enter into “bogus or unsustainable agreements” that cannot be implemented.
“We are committed to solving this problem once and for all. What has lingered since the 2009 and 2021 agreements will now be addressed in a sustainable way. The president has made it clear that every promise made to ASUU and Nigerians will be fulfilled truthfully and honestly,” Alausa said.
He assured Nigerians that the protests by ASUU would not degenerate into a strike, noting that the government had been engaging the union “continuously and meticulously.”
To fast-track solutions, Alausa disclosed that the Ministry of Education convened a high-level meeting on Thursday with key stakeholders, including the Minister of State for Education, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, and the Solicitor-General of the Federation.
Others in attendance were permanent secretaries from the ministries of Education, Labour and Justice, as well as heads of critical agencies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Salaries and Wages Commission, and the Budget Office.
According to him, the meeting reviewed ASUU’s proposals line by line, with a technical team tasked to fine-tune them before submitting a “clean report” to the Yayale Ahmed-led committee on the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU/FG Agreement.
“We want an agreement where every component is actionable and feasible. Nigerians can be assured that this government will keep our schools open and ensure our children remain in classrooms,” he added.
Alausa also revealed that unlike in previous negotiations, the Ministry of Justice would be fully involved in the process to ensure that all agreements comply with constitutional provisions.