The Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU), Owerri zone has warned the federal government of a looming industrial
action, over the non-fulfilment of its 2009 agreement with the union.
The Owerri zone of ASUU in a
press conference held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and addressed by its
zonal coordinator, Mr Uzo Onyebinama said it is shameful that the federal
government has deliberately decided to jettison the more acceptable means of
payment, Universities Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
Onyebinama said the use of the
Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) by the federal
government has shut out some lecturers from receiving their salaries for as
long as 10 months.
“Today, while we were holding our
zonal meeting, a lecturer came to us to complain that for 10 months now he has
not received his salaries. It is still a wonder to us that the federal
government decided against using UTAS, despite having been subjected to all
manner of tests and has scaled through.
“We have called you all here to
tell you that we are saddened that having reached the end of the tunnel, we
couldn’t find any light. The agents of the federal government have reneged from
implementing the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement.
“As we speak, the federal
government is in arrears of major components of the agreement, and that
includes funding for the revitalization of public universities, earned academic
allowances, and the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.”
The union said the introduction
of IPPIS further compounded their woes as it resulted in mutilated salaries,
promotion arrears, and the non-resolution of the more favoured UTAS.
Onyebinama said the consequence
of the federal government’s refusal to implement the 2009 agreement is that the
union has resolved to go on an indefinite strike any moment, adding that once
it begins, it will not stop until all agreements are fulfilled.
“We are being driven once again
by the intransigence of the agents of the federal government of Nigeria to once
again truncate teaching and research activities in our universities nationwide.
“The magnanimity of ASUU that
resulted in various MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) and MOAs (Memorandum of
Action) arising from the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement has been spurned by the
federal government.
“We can not say when the strike
will start, because we need to take our time to prepare, but once we start,
there will be no looking back. We once again alert Nigerians that unless FG
strives to sincerely resolve these issues, there will be no rest for all of
us.”
The press conference was attended
by leaders of the union in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Federal University
of Technology, Owerri, Imo State University, Owerri, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu University, Igbariam and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture,
Umudike.
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