ASUU, FG negotiation ends in deadlock AgainNegotiations between the Federal Government andthe leadership of the Academic Staff Union ofNigeria Universities (ASUU) over the on-goingstrike by members of the union ended in adeadlock in Abuja yesterday. Speaking to journalists after the meeting whichlasted several hours, the Governor of Benue StateGabriel Suswam who is Chairman of the NeedsAssessment Implementation Committee set up bythe Federal Government stated that PresidentGoodluck Jonathan had pledged to commence release of N100 billion for the infrastructuraldevelopment of the universities from the beginningof September. He further stated that due process for the release ofthe funds to execute the identified projects in allfederal universities across the country had alreadystarted. Said he: ” Among the infrastructures that would beprovided are chairs, classrooms, laboratories ,libraries and student hostels. There would also berenovation of existing infrastructures andexecution of fresh projects.” He further stated that ASUU leaders were membersof the the Needs Assessment Committee addingthat they had agreed with resolutions on how toaddress the infrastructural decay in federaluniversities. On his part, the Secretary to the Government of theFederation (SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim statedthat the Federal Government delegation and ASUUhad almost agreed on all disputed issues addingthat the only outstanding one was that of earnedallowances of academic staff of federal universities. He further stated that even though ASUU haddemanded for the release of N87 billion to settlethe outstanding allowances, the FederalGovernment had agreed to disburse the sum ofN30 billion to all the universities. Said he: “However, we cannot determine what isowed individual lecturers in different universities.Hence we have agreed that councils of variousuniversities should determine how much teachersin the various institutions are owed”. However, the President of ASUU Dr. Nasir Fagge inhis own remarks said that the union still insistedthat the Federal Government should implement the2009 agreement reached between both parties. Said he: “If you remember our objective for goingon strike was to get government to implement the2009 ASUU/ Federal Government agreement,particularly the memorandum of understandingwe reached. I want to say that at today’s (yesterday’s) meeting,we looked at all the issues in that MOU and it isclear to us that the the Governor Suswamcommittee that is working on the fundingrequirement for rehabilitating the universitysystem based on the implementation of the needs assessment report; it is clear to us that that we havenot really gone far in that aspect. Secondly,remember in our earlier discussion, we said thereare other aspects of the agreement that wererefered to eitherthe Implemenatation monitoringcommittee or the federal ministry of education. We are yet to commence work on those aspects.” He continued: “On the earned academic allowances,since the government made it clear that it doesn’thave the money to implement that aspect, wewere made to understand today that governmentis going to consult the universities’ governingcouncils and then if there is any need for further meeting, we would be consulted. So, on the basis of that, we will also go back andinform our members on this development. I thinkat this point, what the union is talking about is theimplementatioin of 2009 agreement not therenegotiation of the agreement.”