AS part of efforts to ensure tranquillity on the nation’s university campuses, the Federal Government on Monday inaugurated a committee to renegotiate the 2009 FGN Agreement with university based staff unions.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, inaugurated the 14-man committee recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari with Dr Wale Babalakin as the chairman.
Adamu in his remark, said the inauguration of the committee was a demonstration of the government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises, especially on implementation on all the agreements reached with the staff unions of the nation’s tertiary institutions.
He added that similar team for the renegotiation with unions from the polytechnics and colleges of education would soon be constituted as their respective governing councils are being put in place.
He said: “The inauguration of the renegotiation team is significant as it confirms to the unions that government is committed to keeping its own side of the promise.
“It wants to ensure that an environment that is conducive for teaching, learning, research and community service is engendered through lasting industrial harmony in all our tertiary institutions.
“Today’s inauguration kick-starts our drive for renegotiation across the three segments of the tertiary education sub-sector –universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, starting with universities.
“The administration in the ministry and the administration in the country do not consider the unions enemies or even opponents. As I have always said, ASUU, NASU, NATE and all other are patriotic people who are very concerned about education because what they are struggling for is not for their personal glory or gain. Therefore, you should be facing friends who are interested in education as you are.”
Chairman of the committee, Dr Babalakin, said there was the need to ensure conducive environment in the tertiary institutions, which he said was the bedrock for development of a nation’s intelligentsia.
According to him, the committee would rise beyond expectations for the furtherance of tertiary education in Nigeria, while also appealing to the members to ensure that the task is not underestimated, but carried out with the commitment of all to enhance education in Nigeria.
He said: “A conducive environment in the tertiary institutions is the bedrock for development of a nation’s intelligentsia. A nation’s development can be seriously enhanced by the active participation of the intelligence in the pursuit of the country’s developmental goals.
“We want to also assure you that we intend to rise even beyond your expectations for the furtherance of tertiary education in Nigeria. This task should not be underestimated but with the commitment of all, we will provide a very serious enhancement for education in Nigeria.”