ASUU Begs FG To Save Public Universities From Collapse, Threatens Another Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged President Tinubu to sign and execute the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement in line with the collective bargaining principles enshrined in the International Labour Organization Convention.

The Coordinator of the Lagos zone of the Union, Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, appealed on Friday while addressing the press at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye, Ogun State.

ASUU made it known that should the President heed the appeal and act accordingly, it would save the nation’s public universities from imminent collapse.

The Union added that it would also ensure that the lecturers were not forced into another round of avoidable industrial action courtesy of the current conditions of service.

Prof. Odukoya said the Union was seeking an interface with the President to resolve all issues plaguing the public universities in Nigeria.

“By not signing and implementing the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN since 2021 after it was concluded and to which both Government and ASUU committed massive resources to at the time, the government had tasked the ASUU’s patience beyond bearable limit,” he said.

He urged the Tinubu-led Federal Government to set in motion machinery for the quick signing and implementation of the agreement without further delay to avoid another round of industrial crises in the nation’s public universities.

He identified other issues requiring urgent attention of the Federal Government as poor funding and proliferation of state and federal universities, non-release of monthly subventions, irregular payment of staff salaries, decayed and dilapidated infrastructures, non-payment/release of check-off and other third-party deductions, etc.

The Lagos zone coordinator lamented that visitors of federal and state universities have turned the establishment of universities into constituency projects.

“For the umpteenth time, our Union again calls the attention of the public to the insincere proliferation and mushrooming of universities by both Federal Government and Visitors to State Universities.

“The most disturbing aspect of this anomaly is that while most governments at Federal and State levels have not been adequately funding existing universities (inadequate subventions; non-release of monthly subventions; irregular payment of staff salaries, decayed and dilapidated infrastructures, non-payment/release of check-off and other third party deductions, etc.), Visitors of Federal and State universities have turned establishment of universities to constituency projects.

“This development is harmful, retrogressive, and unacceptable. Our Union hereby calls for the review and strengthening of the National University Commission laws to arrest the negative trends. Non-payment of Withheld Salaries and Arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).

“Comrades and compatriots of the press, it is no longer news that the Federal Government is still holding on to three and half months’ salaries of our members in the face of the government intransigence which necessitated the last industrial action on the one hand and the current excruciating economic challenges confronting the nation on the other.”

“In addition, the arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) since 2020 are still outstanding. Our Union unequivocally condemns this callous, unprogressive, destructive, anti-labor, and inhuman act and demands the unconditional payment of all withheld salaries and arrears of EAA of our members. Injurious Downside of the Discredited Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). Our Union’s unequivocally rejection of the IPPIS as a monster and an ill wind that would blow the Nigerian university system no good has become part of our history. Our stance and foresight had since been vindicated.

“We still insist that IPPIS is a cesspit of centralized corruption by government officials forcefully imposed and foisted on the Nigerian State by Breton Woods institutions of IMF and World Bank. Even with the Government pronouncement on the exit of the universities from IPPIS, the deliberate refusal of corrupt Government and Ministry officials to migrate the University Payroll System away from IPPIS is unfortunate and condemnable.”

In attendance at the press conference were the 7 branch Chairmen – Prof. Kayode Adebayo (University of Lagos), Dr. Isaac Oyewunmi (Lagos State University, Ojo), Dr. Akolade Lapite (Lagos State University of Education), Dr. Tayo Okulaja (Lagos State University of Technology), Dr. Gbenga Akinleye(Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Dr. Wale Ositoye(Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun) and Dr. Wasiu Olooto (OOU).