The Federal Government has denied signing any agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
Alausa explained that the much-referenced renegotiated document with the Union was a mere draft.
He informed that a seven-man committee headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, had been set up to present the government’s counter-proposal to ASUU.
According to him, the draft document under contention never received government’s formal endorsement:
“Let me clear this: the Solicitor-General looked into the agreement and confirmed that government has never signed any agreement with ASUU. This was a draft. The 2021 agreement was not executed by government.
“ASUU may have the impression that they have an agreement with us, but truthfully, no such agreement was signed”, he said.
The Minister added that once the government finalises its position, the counter-proposal would be forwarded to the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led committee for transmission to ASUU.
According to him, both the 2009 and 2011 documents often cited by ASUU as binding agreements were never signed, but only proposals presented during negotiations.
He further said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was, however, committed to resolving lingering issues with the university lecturers’ union.
