Babalakin heads committee to re-negotiate ASUU 2009 agreement

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a 16-man committee headed by Dr. Wale Babalakin to renegotiate the 2009 Federal Government agreement with the staff unions in the Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Press of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ihuoma Chinenye, on Friday in Abuja.
According to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, the President constituted the team with a view to engendering sustainable peace and industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.
The statement said: “The 16-member team is chaired by Dr Wale Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
“Babalakin, who was adjudged the best pro-chancellor at the time of the negotiations in 2009, headed the agreement implementation committee then.”
Other members of the team are Prof. M.M. Jibril, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lafia; and Prof. Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja.
Also in the team are Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke; Architect 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, Ogun State.
Representatives of Federal Ministries of Education; Labour and Employment; Finance; Justice; Budget and National Planning; the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission; and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation are also in the team.
Adamu said the re-negotiation team would dialogue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists and Non Academic Staff Union of Associated and Allied Institutions.
President Muhammadu Buhari has also approved the reconstitution of the Governing Councils of the University of Port Harcourt and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
The councils were dissolved in the wake of the recent crises that engulfed the two institutions.
Adamu said that the new Governing Councils would serve for a term of four years, in the first instance, with effect from December 28, 2016.