The Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige, has stated that the Federal Government does not have the funds to meet its obligations in the agreement signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Ngige said the government was considering a renegotiation of the terms of the agreement with ASUU, in the effort to end the ongoing strike by university lecturers.

The union explained that the decision was taken due to the federal government’s delay to implement their agreement, which include issues on salaries, the revitalisation fund for universities and the adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) payroll software.

Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday night, Ngige pointed out that the N1.3trillion revitalisation fund was a promise made to ASUU by ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, when Nigeria’s finances were stable.

The Minister said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration informed ASUU of its inability to honour the previous revitalization fund agreement, but promised to explore other options to fund universities.

Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education has constituted another committee to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with ASUU.

Announcing the reconstitution of the renegotiation team, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, emphasized the need to speedily bring to conclusion the outstanding issues in the 2009 agreement.

The statement read in part, “The Federal Government has reconstituted a team to renegotiate the 2009 agreement it had with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

“Reconstituting the team, Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, said there was a need to speedily bring to conclusion all outstanding issues in the 2009 agreement in order to achieve the desired peace on our campuses.

“The Chairman of the reconstituted 2009 FGN/University-based Unions Agreements Re-negotiation Team is Prof Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo.