EDUCATION MINISTER BACKTRACKS, ACKNOWLEDGES 2009 FG-ASUU AGREEMENT
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By: Sefiu Ajape
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has backtracked on his earlier comments concerning Federal Government agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), admitting that a pact was indeed formally signed with the union in 2009.
While addressing reporters in Abuja on Thursday, the minister had maintained that no agreement existed between the government and ASUU, claiming the union was merely brandishing a draft — an assertion that ASUU rejected.
However, in a statement on Friday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the minister clarified that the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement remains the most recent signed and binding document between both parties.
The ministry explained that efforts to review the pact have taken place over the years, including the inauguration of a renegotiation committee in 2017 under then Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. This process led to the draft Nimi Briggs Agreement in May 2021, but the Federal Government maintains the document was never executed.
In the statement titled ‘Clarification on minister’s statement regarding FGN-ASUU agreements’, it noted that, “When the Honourable Minister stated that there had been ‘no new signed agreement’ with ASUU, he was referring specifically to the 2021 draft Nimi Briggs document, which has not been formally executed.
“The ministry, therefore, reaffirms that the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains the last formally signed agreement. The 2021 Nimi Briggs draft agreement was not signed, but it serves as the latest framework for discussions. The Federal Government remains committed to ending the 16-year stalemate with ASUU in a sustainable and constitutionally backed manner, ensuring our universities remain open for teaching and research.”
The statement also appealed to stakeholders and the general public to dismiss any misrepresentation of the minister’s earlier comments, assuring that the Federal Government is committed to addressing ASUU’s demands under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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