Wale Babalakin Heads FG’s Team to Renegotiate Agreement with ASUU

• Reconstitute governing councils for Universities of Ife, Port-Harcourt

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a 16-member team of the Federal Government headed by Wale Babalakin to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with unions in federal universities, federal polytechnics and federal colleges of education in order to ensure sustainable peace and industrial harmony in tertiary institutions in the country.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, in a statement yesterday, said the re-negotiation team would dialogue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Associated & Allied Institutions (NASU).

Adamu said that the 16-member team is chaired by Dr. Wale Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He noted that Babalakin, who was adjudged the best pro-chancellor at the time of the negotiations in 2009, headed the agreement implementation committee then.

In a related development, President Buhari has also approved the reconstitution of the governing councils of University of Port-Harcourt and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, which were dissolved following the recent crises that engulfed the two institutions.

The new governing councils would serve for a term of four years, in the first instance, effective from December 28, 2016.

Other members of the negotiating team are Prof. M. M. Jibril, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lafia; Prof. Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja; Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke; Arc. Lawrence Ngbale, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi; Prince Alex Mbata, Pro-Chancellor, Imo State University, Owerri; Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, Pro-Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun; Representatives, Federal Ministry of Education; Representative, Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment; Representative, Federal Ministry of Finance; Representative, Federal Ministry of Justice; Representative, Federal Ministry of Budget & National Planning; Representative of the National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission (NSIWC);

Representative of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of theFederation (OSGF)

Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi is the new Chairman, Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The University of Port Harcourt has Prof Mvendega Jibo as Governing Council’ Chairman.