University academic staff has slammed the Nigerian government for denying it signed agreements.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Thursday faulted the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for claiming that the Federal Government never signed any binding agreements with the union.

Alausa made the clarification in Abuja while addressing journalists, insisting that documents often cited by ASUU were only draft proposals tabled during negotiations, not executed agreements.

The minister explained that the widely referenced 2021 agreement was never signed by government representatives.

"The 2021 agreement was not executed by the government. ASUU might have an impression that they have an agreement with government. There was no signed agreement,” Alausa stated.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was committed to resolving all outstanding issues with the union and had already released ₦50 billion this year to settle earned academic allowances.

Alausa stressed that unlike past administrations, the government was determined to establish a “clean, constitutional, and actionable agreement” with ASUU, backed by all relevant agencies including the Ministry of Justice.

The minister disclosed that government negotiators had reviewed ASUU’s proposals “line by line” and prepared a counter-proposal, which will be cleaned up by a seven-member technical team chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education.

Members of the committee include:

1. The Solicitor General of the Federation
2. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
3. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity
4. Chairman, National Salaries and Wages Commission
5. Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission
6. Executive Secretary, TETFund
7. Director General, Budget Office

CBI News reports that the team, with the Director of University Education as secretary, has been tasked to submit a report that will guide a fresh proposal to be presented to ASUU through the Yayale Ahmed Committee.

Reacting, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, criticised the minister’s remarks, accusing the government of poor record-keeping.

"The government is very poor at keeping records. Sometimes, you wonder if there is a proper handover from one officer to another,” Piwuna told The PUNCH.

ASUU has consistently demanded improved salaries, better conditions of service, enhanced university funding, greater autonomy, and a review of laws governing the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).