The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on Nigerians to hold the Bola Tinubu-led government responsible for any actions the lecturers decide to take.
This was communicated in a press statement signed by the Akure Zonal Coordinator of the Union, Adeola Oyebisi Egbetokun.
It would be recalled that the lecturers already issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government on Wedneday to address their issues or risk a strike action.
“The NEC of ASUU, which held at the University of Ibadan, decided to give federal government a 21-day ultimatum to resolve all the lingering issues that had forced ASUU to prosecute strike actions in the past years.
The ultimatum was duly communicated to the government through the Minister of Education via a letter dated 20th August, 2024.”
The union listed some of the issues under contention to include;
“Conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; (b) release of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries due to the 2022 strike action; (c) release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)”
Others include; the release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.
“Funding for the revitalisation of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget; payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget; proliferation of universities by Federal and state governments.”
“Implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities; illegal dissolution of Governing Councils; and University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for IPPIS.”
The union noted that a draft agreement reached through a committee chaired Late Emeritus Prof. Nimi Biggs in 2021 was not signed by the Buhari led administration.
They accused the incumbent government led of toeing the path Buhari followed.
“Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his co-travellers have chosen the same path as his predecessor. It is unfortunate that the ruling class does not care whether Universities thrive or not.”
“This lackadaisical attitude had forced many committed academics to seek greener pasture in climes where humans beings treat academics like humans beings.”
The lecturers called on the the President Tinubu-led administration to immediately set in motion the process leading to the review and signing of the Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated draft agreement as a mark of goodwill and assured hope for Nigeria’s public universities.
“Nigerian academics are tired of platitudes laced with disdain for intellectuals; only concrete steps to restore their eroded dignity and degraded lives can guarantee lasting peace on our campuses.”
They alleged that recent engagements with government and its agencies have made it very clear “that the current government has continued with the old antics, characterized by bureaucratic bottlenecks, time-buying tactics, denial of documentations, and lack of budgetary provisions, to confound and complicate matters. It is a fact that funds were allocated for payment of EAA and revitalization of public universities”.
The statement stated that President Bola Tinubu should be blamed for whatever action our members chose next.
“In view of the foregoing, beginning from Monday, 23rd September 2024, ASUU resolved to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union.
“The Union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.”the statement read in part.
