ASUU STRIKE: FG MAKES FRESH CONCESSION TO DEMANDS BY ASUU.

The Federal Government has made fresh concession to demands by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a bid to end the over three-month-old strike.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the negotiation with the leadership of the union, which has now been taken by the Vice President of Nigeria, Namadi Sambo, stroke a new deal on Friday, last week.
In the new agreement reached with the union, the federal government had agreed to increase the N30 billion already released for the payment of academic earned allowance to N40 billion.
This according to sources in the meeting indicated that government will top it up with futher releases once the universities were through with the disbursement of the N40 billion.
Accordingly,vice chancellors have been urged to expedite the disbursement withinj the short possible time, using guiding template that had been set by the committee of vice chancellors to them.
This fresh concession by the Federal Government followed two meeting on Thursday, September 19 and Friday October 11, which had representatives of Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities led by his chairman, Professor Hamisu ATBU, and ASUU representatives led by its president, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge.
The government side had Vice President Sambo, Minister of Education, Mr Nyeson Wike, among others.
On the implementation of the Needs Assessment to Nigerians Universities report, it was stated that government was cognisant and mindful of the ability of universities to effectively and efficiently utilise the N100 billion fund immediately hence that figure.
Also, on the project prioritisation, universities would now be allowed to determine their priorities and not be "rail roaded" into implementing a pre-determine set of projects with respect to the Needs assessment.
The government also assured that the operations of the Tertiary Fund(TETFund) would not be impaired, and that the regular TETFund intervention disbursement to Universities would continue unaffected.
Sources at both meeting said ASUU president thanked the vice president for taking over the negotiations and promise to consult with his ASUU constituency.
However, ASUU president, Fagge, as of the time of filling this report, did not respond to text message or calls to his mobile phone to confirm the new agreement.
Tribune