The Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) on Thursday said only two of its eight demands have so far
been met by the Federal Government in the last nine months.
The Ibadan Zone of the union made
this known in a statement after its meeting at the Ladoke Akintola University
(LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chaired by its Coordinator in LAUTECH, Prof. Oyebamiji
Oyegoke.
Others in attendance were: the
Chairpersons from University of Ibadan, Prof. Ayo Akinwole; UNILORIN, Prof.
Moyosore Ajao; LAUTECH, Dr Biodun Olaniran and KWASU, Dr Shehu Salau.
Oyegoke said in the statement
that the strike was “a ticking bomb” and feared that the educational system
would be engulfed in another crisis.
“For the avoidance of doubt, ASUU
stated that only salary shortfall and setting up of Visitation Panels to the
Federal Government-owned universities have been addressed by the government in
nine months.
“Other demands such as the
renegotiation of conditions of service, injection of revitalisation funds,
payment of earned academic allowances, implementation of the University
Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) have not been addressed,” he
said.
Oyegoke added that the
proliferation of state universities, release of withheld salaries and
non-remittance of check-off dues of Unions, which were all contained in the
December 22, 2020 Memorandum of Action, have not been addressed.
He said: ”The claim by the
Minister of Labour and Employment that the money allocated for Revitalisation
of Public Universities had been paid as contained in the MoA of 2020, cannot be
true.
“The same Minister confirmed on
Aug. 2, 2021 that the money is still in the custody of the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), only awaiting application by the Minister of Education for
eventual transfer to the NEEDS Assessment Fund Account.
“That government is working hard
to facilitate the release of money by the CBN since January 2021 leaves a sour
taste in the mouth.”
On IPPIS versus UTAS, he
explained that withholding salaries for months, non-release of EAA, non-payment
of check-off dues accruing to the union, in spite of what ASUU has
demonstrated, could only be an invitation to another possible cycle of
industrial crisis.
“Moreover, UTAS avowed
suitability has been demonstrated admirably to the Minister of Education and
members of his team, the Honourable Senate President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
“And other key stakeholders like
Ministries of Labour and Employment; Education, Finance, Office of the
Accountant-General, representatives of Nigeria Information Technology
Development Agency (NITDA).
“The more the government insists
on fulfilling the demands of the integrity test on UTAS, the longer the
accompanying pains earlier identified in IPPIS will stay with our members,” he
said.
Oyegoke said at a reconciliation
meeting between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the leadership of ASUU on
Monday, Aug.2, 2021 at the Conference Room of the Minister of Labour and
Employment, all contentious matters affecting the outstanding issues as regard
the implementation of 2020 FGN/ASUU MoA were discussed.
“The Minister of Labour and
Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on behalf of the Federal Government, promised that
a broader government team and inter-ministerial committee on the draft
renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement would conclude its work and submit the
report to the government by the end of August, 2021.
“The meeting concluded with an
agreement to reconvene by the end of August 2021 to ascertain the faithfulness
of the Federal Government in resolving the outstanding issues.
“We are in the second week of September, 2021, nothing positive from the Federal Government so far,” NAN quoted him as saying.
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