By Marcus Ikechukwu
The Federal Government says the current strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is becoming very problematic to the administration and more complicated to resolve than initially anticipated.
Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, gave this indication shortly after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
ASUU had been on strike for over three months over disagreements bothering the Integrated Personnel Payrolls and Information System IPPIS, including universities revitalization funds and other welfare issues.
The development has thrown the university system into a comatose.
Other university-based unions, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), have also withdrawn their services over the alleged government insensitivity to their demands.
Meanwhile, the government has approved the establishment of e-learning centres for primary schools across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Fielding question on why the government approved the establishment of e-learning centres but was unable to resolve problems with unions in the public universities for the students to go back to school, the Minister said the issue with the unions was not as simple as many may think.
He also said that the government was worried over the prolonged closure of the public universities and was making frantic efforts to ensure that all the contentious issues were resolved.
Mohammed, who briefed on behalf of the Minister of Education, said, “And the other question has to do with the ASUU strike. If I remember this e-learning, I think has to do more with primary schools and not universities.
“And I don’t think because we’re having challenges with the university lectures, we should stop primary school students from continuing their education.
“And I wish that the ASUU issue is as simple as many of us think. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s that simple. But I want to assure you that a lot is happening behind the scenes.
“And I think probably the Minister of Education will be better positioned to give the details. But like any government, if we’re not concerned, we would not set up all the committees which have been working on. If we are not concerned, we will not be looking for means even to assuage the feelings of the Union.
“We’re worried, we’re concerned, and we’ll continue to work towards finding an early resolution of the problem.”
On approval by FEC, he said, “The Honourable Minister of Education has sought permission from Council for the award of contracts for the provision of a satellite-based education system for 109 e-learning centres across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The contract was for the sum of N964 million and favoured Messrs Nas Navigation. The purpose of the memo is to provide each senatorial district in the country with e-learning provision, each state has three senatorial districts, and the FCT has one senatorial district.
“The scope of the project is the provision of a satellite-based education system for about 4,360 users in the 109 senatorial districts, and it was through the installation of 109 receiver satellite unit model antenna in three schools in each state.
“Installation and provision of 109 vast mile server in three schools in each state connecting up to 100 device installation of 109 server units for receiver terminals and deployment of 4,360 Android tablets.”
