President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal government on Tuesday failed to reach an agreement with striking university lecturers under the auspice of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
According to a Channels TV source, the Briggs renegotiation committee did not present a new offer; instead, they pleaded with lecturers to end the strike, promising that their concerns would be addressed in the 2023 budget.
The source who is a top member of ASUU disclosed that the meeting, which started at about 12pm, lasted for about three hours without any agreement being reached.
This indicates that the six-month-old lecturers’ strike at public universities will continue.
The Professor Nimi Briggs Committee and the striking academics met on Tuesday at the National University Commission in Abuja in the hopes of ending the overstretched strike that started on February 14.
Among other requests, the academics want better welfare, the revitalization of public universities, and academic autonomy.
One point of contention for academics is the non-payment of N1.1 trillion in university revitalisation funds.
However, the Federal Government has asserted that it lacks the resources to make such a payment, citing the low oil prices experienced during President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.
The striking lecturers also want the government to abandon the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in favour of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
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