The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said their industrial action will end immediately if the federal government addresses their concerns.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night.

Osodeke claimed an agreement had been reached with the government, but it has not been signed.

According to him, ASUU’s insistence on using their own generated payment platform, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), is a key demand.

“As far as ASUU is concerned, the strike can end tomorrow.

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“We have finished the negotiation. If the government calls us now to come and sign the agreement, we will be there tomorrow.

“Let the government tell us they have finished testing the UTAS and we have accepted it, then we will call off the strike.

“When will they sign the agreement? When will they accept UTAS? Those are the two questions we should ask the Nigerian government,” Osodeke said.

No fewer than 88,000 candidates sat for the 2022 examinations of the National Business and Technical Examination Board.

This is as the minister of education, Adamu Adamu warned against the devaluation of certificates issued by NABTEB.

The minister noted this on Thursday during the 2022 monitoring of NABTEB examinations at the Federal Science and Technical College, Orozo, Abuja.

Adamu who was represented by the director of Human Resources in the ministry, David Gende, further explained that those who could not fit into the country’s formal sector would have the opportunity to get involved in the informal sector, which underscored the reason for setting up the examination board.

“I think we need to correct this impression, skills acquisition is what we are promoting in this regard and there is no rule that says everyone must go to the university.

“You know, if we look across the globe, there are people who have achieved greatness without seeing a university.

“So, we should stop demeaning this very certificate so that people can pick up the skills that are required,” he said.

On his observation during the monitoring, the minister expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the students, saying that there was no record of any students involved in malpractices.

Adamu, therefore, said that the ministry would continue to promote the culture of excellence to have great leaders that would sail the country in the near future.

On her part, the head, NABTEB, Ifeoma Isiugo-Abanihe, said the board had experienced an increase in enrollment of Technical and Vocational Education and Training candidates since 2018.

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Isiugo-Abanihe said that the increase was as a result of interest in technical education among the youths, adding that, “The board received 83,000 candidates in 2021 and 88,000 in 2022. It’s been increasing every year. If you check from 2018, it was about 55,000 candidates.

“There has been steady increase in enrollment and I think it is because of the realisation that TVET is the way to go. This is because in the world today, there is need for skills as well as empowerment in skills and self-reliance and it is at the bottom of development.”

The PUNCH reports that NABTEB is a Nigerian examination board responsible for conducting examinations for technical and business innovation colleges in Nigeria.

The board was established under Decree No. 70 (now Act 70) of the 1993 constitution. The Decree (Act) mandated NABTEB with the responsibility to conduct Technical and Business Innovation certificate examinations hitherto being conducted by the West African Examinations Council.

Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Yobe State University branch, has tasked it members not to succumb to any kind threat from the state government aimed at creating division and distraction among them.

The charge was contained in a five-point resolution raised following an emergency congress meeting held by union to review the ongoing strike action and other local issues among which is the imposition of ‘No work-No pay’ strategy by government in the state.

Dr. Mohammed Saje Jajere, YSU-ASUU branch chairperson, noted that after extensive deliberations, the congress has unanimously reiterated its position to continue with the national strike, despite the no-work-no-pay strategy without notice

“As the struggle continues, the congress has commended its members for their commitment and steadfastness in the patriotic struggle for the survival of the university system in the country.

“The congress has called on its members not to succumb to any kind threat so that it will not create division and distraction among members”, he said.

READ ALSO: ASUU Proffers Solution To Ongoing Strike

To cushion the hardship of the salary stoppage, the Chairperson said a coping strategy is introduced via ASUU-YSU Multipurpose Cooperative Society, hence urged members to contact the EXCO of the Cooperative for more details on how to access various services.

“A people united can never be defeated”, Dr. Jajere stressed.

DAILY POST gathered that, the management of the varsity has announced resumption of academic activities on the 27th of June, 2022 after the Directorate of Academic Planning of the institution released an adjusted academic calendar for 2020/2021 academic session and urged students to take note for compliance.

Reports also indicated that, some academic staff in the university who are at managerial level have commenced lectures on the said date and vowed to continue in the line with the adjusted calendar.