ASUU STRIKE UPDATE

ASUU Strike Update: FG Finally Agrees to Meet ASUU'sDemands after Over
100 DaysTowards ending the ongoing ASUU strike, the Federal Government
has committed to spending N200 billion in the 2014 budget on the
universities as well as on each of the next three-four years until the
universitiesare brought to world-class standard as demanded by ASUU
leadership.This is in addition to the N100 billion dedicated and
already made available… Government has also increased to N40billion as
a first installment, funds for payment of earned allowances to the
striking lecturers, an improvement from the N30 billion previously
released. This information is contained in an internal statement at
the Federal University of Otuoke by Professor Bolaji Aluko, its
Vice-Chancellor.On the earned allowances, Prof. Aluko said "Government
will top it up with further releases once universities are through
with the disbursement of thisnew figure of N40 million, so
Vice-Chancellors are urged to expedite this disbursement within the
shortest possible time using guiding templates that have been sent by
the CVC."Professor Aluko said the development followed meetings on
September 19and Oct 11 of representatives of the Association of
Vice-Chancellorsof Nigerian Universities, led by Prof. Hamisu of ATBU
and ASUU reps led by its President, Dr. N. Fagge with the
Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Arc. Namadi. Sambo,
Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike and others.In the
interest of peace, Vice-President Sambo appealed to ASUU to call off
the strike and apologizedover the "take-it-or-leave-it" comments made
by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.Other points of
agreement at the meetings include the following: Project
Prioritization: Universities will now be allowed to determine their
priorities and not be "rail-roaded" into implementing a pre-determined
set of projects with respect to the NEEDS assessment.Decisions are not
to be centralized. TETFund Intervention: Government assured that the
operations of the TETFund will not be impaired, and that the regular
TETFund intervention disbursement to Universities will continue,
unaffected. So the NEEDS assessment capital outlays are in addition to
regular TETFund intervention. Project Monitoring: A new Implementation
Monitoring Committee (IMC) forthe NEEDS Assessment intervention for
universities has been set up to take over from the Suswan Committee.
The new one is under the Federal Ministry of Education and chaired by
the Honorable Minister of Education. In addition, to build
confidenceand ensure faithful implementation and prevent any relapse
as before, the Vice President will meet quarterly with the IMC to
monitor progress. Blueprint: ASUU was mandated to submit a blue
printfor revitalizing the Universities to the Vice President.ASUU
leadership will now meet to decide if the government should be trusted
again, this time