President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the membership of a Federal Government team to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with the staff unions in the Federal Universities, Federal Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education.

This is aimed at engendering sustainable peace and industrial harmony in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

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.

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 in 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.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who announced these on Friday, said that the renegotiation team wiould 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 and Allied Institutions (NASU).

The government team comprises the following: Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN (Chairman); Prof. M.M. Jibril, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lafia; Prof. Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja; Senator GbemisolaSaraki, 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); and Representative of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of theFederation (OSGF).

(Channels TV)

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