THE 2009 FGN/ASUU AGREEMENT AND GOVERNMENT’S FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT IT The 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement was conceived in the context of making Nigerian universities respond effectively to the challenges of knowledge-driven economy and development. At independence in 1960, Nigeria was at par with many of the countries called the Asian Tigers from where commodity items, including palm oil, are now being imported. What makes the difference is education. While the likes Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea heavily invested in the capacities of their citizens, successive Nigerian governments have merely paid a lip service to education. This accumulated neglect and half-hearted response culminated in the sordid state of affairs in the Nigerian University System as recently captured in the Nigerian Universities Needs Assessment Report. After three years of strenuous negotiation, Government signed the October 2009 Agreement with our Union. The Agreement, which aimed at addressing the rot in the Nigerian University System and enhancing its overall efficiency, focuses on the following key areas: i. Funding requirements for Revitalisation of the Nigerian Universities; ii. Federal Government Assistance to State Universities; iii. Progressive Increase of Annual Budgetary Allocation to Education to 26% between 2009 and 2020; iv. Earned Academic Allowances; v. Amendment of the Pension/Retirement Age of Academics on the Professorial cadre from 65 to 70 years; vi. Transfer of Federal Government landed property to Universities; vii. Setting up of Research and Development Units by Companies Operating in Nigeria and Teaching and Research Equipment Provision to our Laboratories and Classrooms. Unfortunately, Government (both Federal and State) developed cold feet after signing the Agreement. The Union had to embark on warning strikes and an indefinite one to get Government to commence implementation of the Agreement with only the Salary component. When Government refused to commence the implementation of the other components of the Agreement (Funding, University Autonomy and Academic Freedom, Earned Academic Allowances, and Other Matters), the Union had to embark on another warning strike, culminating into a total and indefinite one on 4th December, 2011 to persuade Government to have a change of heart. That strike was suspended on 2nd February, 2012 following the intervention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the Chairpersons of Education Committees of the Senate (Comrade UchChukwumerije) and House of Representatives (then Hon. Faruk Lawan) and some other well-meaning Nigerians. To pave way for suspending the February 2012 strike action, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Government and ASUU on 24th January, 2012 at the instance of the SGF. The MoU did not only capture all the key areas of the 2009 Agreement, it equally provided for timeline with particular reference to the establishment of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO) and restoration of the prematurely dissolved University Governing Councils. To determine the Funding requirements for implementing the funding aspect of the MoU, Government set up the Committee on the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities (CNANU) with Prof. Mahmud Yakub, then Executive Secretary of TETFund, as Chairperson. Also, Government mandated the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) of the 2009 Agreement under Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, then Chairperson, Committee of Pro-Chancellors, to work out modalities for implementing other aspects of the MoU such as registration of NUPEMCO; Amendment of Pension Retirement Age of Academics in the Professorial cadre; Federal Assistance to State Universities; Earned Academic Allowances; and Transfer of FGN Landed Property to Universities. The CNANU submitted its report in July 2012 while the IMC made its submission in February, 2013. In a desperate effort to avoid another round of crisis in the Nigerian University System, ASUU wrote to SGF, and copied the Hon. Minister of Education, on 24th March, 2013 on “Slow Pace of Implementation of Some Key Aspects of FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement”. The letter highlighted outstanding issues in the 2009 Agreement and the subsequent 2012 MoU. In particular, Government was admonished to expedite action on the implementation of agreements and understandings on Funding Requirement for Revitalizing the Universities, Earned Academic Allowances, Establishment of NUPEMCO and University Governing Councils. At the meeting of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity, Honourable Minister of Education and ASUU on 9th April, 2013, the Union took time to bring out all aspects of the Agreement that were pending for full implementation.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 08:57:17 +0000
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