President Bola Tinubu has announced his administration’s commitment to preventing the closure of universities in Nigeria during the 39th Convocation of the University of Ilorin on Tuesday.
This statement comes amid a recent strike notice issued by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other academic groups, addressing issues related to salary arrears and the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement.
Represented by Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, Tinubu emphasized the importance of peace in universities for the nation’s prosperity and development.
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“My Government is committed to an uninterrupted academic calendar. Let me, therefore, appeal to the staff members of the nation’s universities to always give peace a chance.
“Gone were the days when universities would be closed down over issues that could be resolved through constructive engagements,” he stated.
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Tinubu also mentioned the government’s efforts to maintain good relations with academic institutions.
“We would ensure that the Federal Government and our various universities enjoy a new form of good and positive relationship in the interest of the nation and humanity,” he added.
Addressing ASUU’s demands, the president noted that the federal government is working to fulfill its commitments.
“That is why we inaugurated the 2009 re-negotiation committee between the federal government and universities based associations and unions under the leadership of Dr. Yayale Ahmed,” he explained.
He highlighted the recent payment of four months of withheld salaries to university staff and the removal of salary payments from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Tinubu encouraged students to utilize the Nigerian Education Loans Fund (NELFUND) and urged universities to recruit additional staff to address personnel shortages.
