ASUU strike: Jonathan approves N400bn lifeline –SSANU

The end to the present strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may be in sight as President Goodluck Jonathan has approved N400 billion for the infrastructural development of Nigerian universities.
The document to this effect is expected to be made available today at the meeting of the presidential committee on implementation of the NEEDS assessment in the universities with the leaders of the four university-based unions – the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke, made the revelation while addressing his union members at the SSANU National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the weekend at the University of Abuja.
Ugwoke, briefing the SSANU members on the activities of the NEEDS assesment implementation committee, led by Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. He noted that the fund was different from the N100 billion Governor Suswam had raised from donor agencies and big companies to tackle the problems of Nigerian universities in 2013.
The labour leader said: “Let me give you a tip on what the NEEDS assessment committee is doing. The president has approved that within the next four years; N400 billion would be expended in infrastructural development of Nigerian universities, to transform the universities to international standard.
“N100 billion has already been raised by Suswam committee out of which 61 universities have been pencilled down, as contained in the NEEDS assessement committee. The N100 billion is expected to address needs of the universities in the areas which include re-furbishing and renovation of lecture theatres and lecture halls, re-furbishing and renovation of laboratories/libraries and the renovation of hostels.
“The second category is building of new hostels of international standard, self-contained rooms, the latest model in the world. That is the standard to be built in every university, and also the state-of-the-art laboratories as well as classrooms, lecture theatres and the halls.”
Ugwoke pointed out that the money had been shared and out of the N100 billion, N96 billion had been sent to universities.
He added: “The committee is meeting again on Monday, and by Monday (today 19th August 2013), the document will be out. This time around, it is not only by giving university money, but it will be monitored to ensure that the money is used to transform the universities, to bail universities out of the present situation and developed to an international recognized university standard.
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FG Holds Crucial Talks With ASUU Today

The Federal Government of Nigeria will engage the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a crucial talks today, in a move to end the ongoing strike by the union.
Minister of Education, Professor Ruqa’yyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, made this known in Abuja, on Monday, saying reasonable progress had been made in the ongoing efforts to get the lecturers back to classroom.
She noted that a presidential intervention of N100 billion had been released to the implementation committee of the Needs Assessment Report, which has the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, as chairman.
Professor Rufa’i, who spoke while declaring open the mid-term review of the four-year strategy plan for the development of the education sector, said this was to address some of the identifiable challenges in the nation’s university system.
She said it was as a result of the resolve to address all challenges facing the sector that assessments of each area of the education sector were carried out.
“We have done this for the federal unity schools and it is helping in their transformation. The recent one carried out for all publicuniversities has led to a presidential intervention to ensure that challenges identified are given due attention.
“As a result, N100 billion has been committed to this and the president has inaugurated an implementation committee chaired by Governor Suswam,” she said.
The minister said the implementation of the four-year strategic plan (2011-2015) was on course, stressing that credible progress had been made in the six focal areas as outlined in the plan.
She reaffirmed the commitment to move the sector ahead, saying “we shall continue to dig deep and identify further challenges and address them.”
Professor Rufa’i, therefore, appealed to all stakeholdersto continue to show understanding, support and partnership, noting that “our actions today will define where we are tomorrow.”
She added that government would continue to dialogue with ASUU in order to end the ongoing strike that had crippled academic activities in government’s universities in Nigeria.
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Students beg President Jonathan to wade into ASUU strike

Students of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU) on Friday begged President Gooodluck Jonathan to wade into the lingering ASUU and Federal Government crisis.
The students said that they looked up to Mr President to personally intervene in the face-off.
Mr Louis Onwe, a 300-level biochemistry student said: ‘’His intervention into the ongoing crisis will lead to timely resolution of the impasse and resumption of academic work.’’
He said that since the president enjoyed enormous goodwill with the union, it would listen to him if he intervened personally in the face-off.
“ASUU demands are quite germane as it will boost research and development of infrastructures in the universities,’’ Onwe said.
Mr Kelechukwu Anyigor, also a 300-level student of biochemistry, said they were optimistic that Jonathan’s intervention was needed to quickly resolve the strike.
“Our president enjoys tremendous goodwill because of his human rights records, and his attempt to reposition the country’s economy.
“It is our candid belief that if he personally intervenes in the matter, ASUU will listen to him in the interest of the students and the nation at large,’’ Anyigor said.
Mr Michael Otuu of the Department of Business Administration, called on the president to rise above politics and wade into the crisis in the interest of Nigerian students and university education.
According to him, the indefinite strike already in its fifth week is having a negative toll on the academic pursuit of university students in the country.
Otuu called on well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the federal government to accede to the demands of ASUU in the interest of industrial harmony in the system.
The National President of ASUU, Dr Isa Fagge, declared a nationwide indefinite strike on July 1 to protest the failure of the government to honour the 2009 agreements it reached with ASUU. (NAN)

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ASUU strike: Suswam chairs Needs Committee

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam




The Federal Government on Friday inaugurated the University Needs Implementation Committee headed by Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.
The committee is to put inplace appropriate requirements for learning in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, said during the inauguration of the committee in Abuja that the major needs of all federal universities were identified by an assessment committee earlier set up to "assess and prioritise the needs of universities."
According to him, the report submitted by the Needs Assessment Committee mandates the inaugurated committee "to interface with all agencies providing funding support to the universities with the aim of appropriately channelling support to identified priorities,"
The Federal Government had set up the NAC to revitalise the physical infrastructure in the universities, with the aim of enhancing the Internally Generated Revenue base of the universities.
But the non-implementation of the report has pitted the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union and other trade unions in the nation's universities against the government.
Anyim said the committee's terms of reference included,"Simulating private sector investment into the public auniversities, monitoring progress of the projects implementation and produce quarterly reports for submission to the Federal Government and, intervention in any other matter that may be necessary to achieve the purpose of the Needs assessment."

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