ASUU CRISIS : MARK RESULT TO BLAME GAME

The Senate President, David Mark, while ruling on a motion in the Senate alleged that the incompetency and ignorance of the Federal Government Re-negotiation Team who signed the 2009 agreement between it and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) ,was the reason for the on-going shut down of public universities in the country.  Mr. Mark said ASUU simply took
advantage of the ignorance of those who were sent and “just allowed this agreement to go on because it is obvious that this is going to be a very difficult piece of paper to implement.”

“They found out that those who were sent there simply didn’t know their right from their left and they just went ahead.’’ In his assertion, Senator Mark further said  "Listening to the agreement that was signed by the Federal Government, I was really wondering whether this was signed or it was just a proposal, but it was signed ! It only shows the level of people the executive sent to go and negotiate on their behalf because abinitio, people must be told the truth, what can be accomplished and what cannot be accomplished,’’

 

It would be recalled that on Thursday, 14th December, 2006, both FG and ASUU entered into negotiation in a bid to reverse the falling standard of the education sector. The then Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Obiageli Ezekwesili, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), inaugurated the FGN/ASUU Re-negotiation Committee comprising the FGN Re-negotiation Team led by the then Pro-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Deacon Gamaliel O. Onosode, OFR, and the ASUU Re-negotiation Team  led by the then President of ASUU, Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano.

 

The alleged incompetent and ignorant Government Re-negotiation Team at the negotiations include
Deacon Gamaliel O. Onosode, OFR as Team Leader and Prof. Musa Abdullahi (Deceased), Prof. Greg Iwu, OON Rev. Father T. E. Uwaifo, Barrister Emeka  Nwankpa, Amb. Muh. Adamu Jumba, Prof. Mahmood. Yakubu and Senator Abdalla Wali as members.

There were also representative from Ministries of Education, Justice, Labour,Finance as well as representative from the presidency and NUC at all the negotiations. The outcome of the negotiation (2009 FG/ASUU Agreement) which was duly signed by both parties was to be effective from 1st of January 2009, but was however 'shelved' by the FG until recently after ASUU called a general strike to force the government to implement the agreement.