By JOHN ONAH, Abuja –
The Federal Government has inaugurated a reconstituted Team to renegotiate the 2009 agreements between the Federal Government of and University-based unions.
The team is to re-negotiate the residual issues in the 2009 Agreements between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the university-based unions, towards a workable and implementable agreement between both parties, such that will facilitate a repositioning of Nigerian universities for greater responsibilities in national development.
The team is also to propose and prescribe short, medium and long-term measures for the sustainable funding and management of Federal universities, in order to restore lasting peace, stability, harmony and progress in the Nigerian university System; and make any other recommendations, as may be necessary, to ensure the realistic implementation of future agreements, by all stakeholders.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Minister of Education, Mal. Adamu Adamu noted that the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders in the past months, have been neck deep in several meetings with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and others, to resolve the outstanding issues that led to the current industrial action in public universities.
“It is noteworthy that although most of residual issues were part of the comprehensive agreement reached with the previous administration, I can report that significant progress has, so far, been recorded and there is an opportunity that our public universities, like their private counterparts, will soon reopen for academic activities.
”Let me re-affirm the commitment of the present administration to finding lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the education sector, and most especially, the university sub-sector. Government is determined to, within available resources, provide the requisite environment, infrastructure as well as improve the conditions of service for all categories of staff in Nigerian universities”.
He stated that government, like other stakeholders, is also worried about the vicious cycle over the years of the myriad of industrial actions by one staff union or the other.
“The cumulative effect has been the obvious loss of productive and precious man-hours direly needed by the universities to fulfill their tripod mandates of teaching, research and community action. All these have impacted negatively on our learning outcomes and the reputation of the Nigerian brand, which hitherto was the pride of the nation”.
According to him, the team is expected to take another look at the 2009 Agreements reached with the university-based Unions and work with each Union towards making far-reaching recommendations that would reposition the Nigerian university system.
“It has also become necessary and urgent that all hands must now be on deck to restore the confidence reposed in university education by students, parents and the general public.
The Federal Government Team is categorised into substantive members.
Advisers and observers, is led by Professor Emeritus Munzali M. Jibril, OFR.Other members in this category are:Amb. Chief Dr. (Mrs.) Nimota Nihinola Akanbi Pro-Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa BalewaUniversity, Bauchi , Professor Emeritus Nimi Briggs Pro-Chancellor, Federal University Ndufu Alike, Ikwo
Rep. North-Central,Rep. South-South,Rep. North-East
Rep. South-West among others
Also among the advisers are the executives of agencies like; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of NigerianUniversities(CVC), Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of State-owned Universities, Chairman, Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU), Secretary, Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU), Chairman, Association of Bursars of Nigerian Universities (ABNU), and Secretary, Association of Bursars of Nigerian Universities (ABNU).
The observer category is composed of representatives from the: Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Finance and Budget Planning, Federal Ministry of Justice, Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, and Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
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