Chairman of the Implementation Committee on the Needs Assessment of
Universities and Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswan, has
appealed to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU,
to shift grounds on their demand for 100 per cent implementation of the
2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.
Suswan also disclosed that the disbursement of the N100 billion
infrastructure intervention fund to the 51 benefiting universities was
already concluded, adding that all the councils had commenced
procurement processes ahead of the awards of contracts for
rehabilitation and construction of infrastructure.
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Cletus
Akwaya, Suswam reiterated that the committee had no hand in the
procurement process.
“This committee appeals to the lecturers, now that government has
started work on the infrastructure in the universities, they should
shift ground and return to work while the processes continue,” he said.
The Benue governor lamented that ASUU was insisting on 100 per cent
implementation of the 2009 agreement, which he noted could not be done
by authoritative determination, as there were processes to be followed.
He however gave the assurance that more funds would be raised and
allocated for the interventions next year to ensure that the
rehabilitation of the institutions is a continuous process, noting that
that would help address the infrastructure deficit in a couple of years.
The ASUU strike has now entered its third month after negotiations
between the university lecturers and the Federal government deadlocked.
The FG believes the university lecturers should be back working as a
good percentage of their demand has been met, but ASUU insists the FG
should fulfill all its promises as stated in the 2009 agreement before
the strike can end.
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