By EMAMEH GABRIEL

The Chairman of the National Assembly and President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan has appealed to the federal government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to be ready to sheath swords to end the ongoing ASUU strike to allow students go back to class.

Senator Lawan made the appeal on Monday during a meeting with members of ASUU at the national assembly, saying the situation is not healthy for the country tertiary institutions.


He noted that the meeting was to enable the National Assembly intervene in the ongoing disagreement between government and the universities governing body to put and end to the strike.

Lawan said: “Both Government and ASSU must find a common ground. We cannot afford to continue in this kind of crisis. This is why our children are forced to go to neighbouring countries like Ghana to school. What about those who can’t afford to send their children out of the country?

“ASSU must be ready to shift ground. It is supposed to be a give-and-take. ASSU cannot get everything it is demanding from the government”, said Ahmed Lawan who noted that he was confident that some of the agreements signed years back have already been taken over by events.

“I am sure ASUU is prepared halfway to meet the government to resolve the crisis for good. It doesn’t anyone any good when our universities are shut.

He however warned that government must be careful and be truth to its words when agreements are signed and also be sure that they have the capacity to implement such agreements.

“We have to tell ourselves the truth no matter how bitter it sounds”, he said.


https://leadership.ng/2020/10/12/strike-govt-cant-meet-all-your-demands-senate-tells-ASUU/

PRESS STATEMENT

Senate President intervenes to resolve ASUU/Govt disputes

Urges parties to shift grounds to allow shut Varsities reopen


President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Monday waded into the disputes between the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) and the Federal Government over the enrollment on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System(IPPIS) and other outstanding issues.

Lawan met with a delegation from ASUU led by its President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi at the National Assembly to discuss the lingering crisis which has made it impossible for some Universities to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown.

ASUU leaders paid similar visit to the Senate President in October 2019 to find a way out of the crisis.

In his opening remarks, the Senate President said the meeting was to explore further how the Senate and indeed the National Assembly could intervene to resolve the issues that were yet outstanding.

Lawan told his guests: "We really don't need this kind of situation where our Universities are shut. Our children are the victims of this.

"Therefore, the government and ASUU ought to find a common ground for our institutions, particularly our Universities to open and of course, offer the kind of services that are expected of our Universities.

"We cannot afford, as a country, to continue to have this kind of crisis. So I receive you on behalf of my colleagues at the Senate and indeed the National Assembly. The idea is to find out how we can resolve this issue."

The Senate President said even though there were yet many outstanding issues, the parties should imbibe the spirit of give and take in resolving the dispute.

"Government cannot expect to have it all it's way and I believe that ASUU shouldn't expect it to be that everything it asked for must be given.

"Our situation today is something that everyone knows what it is. It's a very stressful economic situation and I believe that government is supposed to even, within this kind of situation, play its own part. It's obligations must be redeemed within the confine of what we can do.

"But ASUU too, I know, is prepared to meet government halfway somehow because I'm sure we have joint determination to resolve these issues.

"The National Assembly is the best place to go. On one hand we are in government. On another hand, we represent the people. We represent you. We represent the families and the children who are at home because the Universities are shut.

"And I think as Parliamentarians, we have to tell the truth as it is, no matter how bitter it may be at the right place and at the right time.

"When we signed agreement, we must do so with full intention of implementing it. And when we negotiate, we must negotiate in such a manner that the final product is implementable.

"This is to say that we have to accommodate each other. The country must ensure that Universities remain open and functioning because it doesn't serve anybody any good when the Universities are shut," Lawan said.

Also in his opening statement, ASUU President, Professor Ogunyemi said the visit was in furtherance of previous interraction with the Senate President.

"Today we hope to share with you as you requested the last time we were here, the product of our invention in the area of alternative to IPPIS.

"We are also here to solicit your support on the need for the government to urgently address the outstanding issues on our demand list. We are here for those two main reasons and we hope we will have the supportive weight that we expect from your office," Ogunyemi said.

Signed:

Ola Awoniyi
Special Adviser( Media)
to President of the Senate

Monday, 12th October, 2020

Maybe ASUU should turn to God then since Government can't meet up with dere demands, Cause anything wey the Govt no fit du for diz country na God we dey always call on to get ordinary light u gaz pray to God make dem bring light...

Abeg make dem no even open the school again. I DN De work now.

Government? Who is that again?

Okay
EndASUU

The government summoned this meeting urgently in an attempt by the FG to get the youths off the #Endsars protest and send them back to school quickly?

But e don cast because ASUU get skushi for head

Aflix:
Abeg make dem no even open the school again. I DN De work now.

How much are you earning?

The Senates are right, human wants is endless...they should go continue their duty..

NASS can cut their allowances to empower ASUU. If students can't protest at the house I have finished my uni 3 years none stop I ent dying for nobody.

Are ASUU ready to return to work anytime soon? The answer is NO.

inoki247:
Maybe ASUU should turn to God then since Government can't meet up with dere demands, Cause anything wey the Govt no fit du for diz country na God we dey always call on to get ordinary light u gaz pray to God make dem bring light...

Half of the budget of nass is enough to change their life, don't let anybody deceive you. If this so called professors can't break down the budget of NASS and tap from it the government should not pay them. Let the NASS take it over. Why they are not protesting at the National Assembly I don't know sha.

Government can't meet all of ASUU's demands but the lawmakers are never owed salaries and allowances even the ones yet to sponsor a single bill?

I don't get!!!

Ugaboy:
The Senates are right, human wants is endless...they should go continue their duty..

but the government can pay the salaries of nass,ministers,s.a abi?
but they cannot pay salaries of lecturers abi?

Rhapsodia:
Okay

EndASUU

#END NASS BOGUS SALARIES
#END BOGUS MINISTERS,SPECIAL ADVICERS,PRESIDENT AND GOVERNOR SALARIES AND ALLOWANCE

Ok

I support government on not paying those who didn't enroll to IPPS salaries.

I happened to see a leak documents of some millions allocated for research funding of a popular Federal University in South west.

Only God knows how the VC and some of the boards chop and share the money.
Without doing anything tangible to the University

Ugaboy:
The Senates are right, human wants is endless...they should go continue their duty..

Yes human wants are endless however the need of those senators are easily meant

But Government can get money to share among themselves.