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, Mrs Ihuoma Chinenye of the Federal Ministry of Education on Friday in Abuja.According to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, the President constituted this team with a view to engendering sustainable peace and industrial harmony in 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,’’ Adamu added.

Other members of the team are Prof. M.M. Jibril, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lafia; Prof. Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja.

Also in the team are: Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke; Arc. Lawrence Ngbale, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi; Prince Alex Mbata, Pro-Chancellor, Imo State University, Owerri; Prof. OlufemiBamiro, Pro-Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun.

Representatives of Federal Ministries of Education; Labour and Employment; Finance; Justice; Budget and National Planning; the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

He said that the re-negotiation team would dialogue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

Others to dialogue with include National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non Academic Staff Union of Associated and Allied Institutions (NASU).

President Buhari has also approved the reconstitution of the governing councils of University of Port Harcourt and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife respectively.

The councils were dissolved in the wake of the recent crises that engulfed the two institutions.

He said that the new governing councils would serve for a term of four years, in the first instance, with effect from December 28, 2016.