The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to address its demands or face a new strike action. This was announced by the Chairperson of ASUU at the Federal University Dutse (FUD) branch in Jigawa State, Comrade Salim Ahmed, during an emergency press conference at the FUD ASUU Secretariat in Dutse.
Ahmed stated that the ASUU members met on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, to review their ongoing efforts with the Federal and State governments to resolve the issues affecting Nigerian public universities. “The Members of the Expanded Executive Officers of the ASUU Federal University Dutse met today, Wednesday, 19th June 2024, to consider and take a look at the patriotic engagements of the Union with the Federal and State governments on how best to address all the lingering problems bedeviling Nigerian Public Universities,” he said.
He accused the current administration, which began on May 29, 2023, of ignoring the union’s leadership. “All efforts were put in place by the leadership of the Union to get the government to convene a meeting and listen to ASUU in order to iron out the contending issues, as contained in the International Labour Organization, ILO’s principle of collective bargaining, have failed,” Ahmed said.
The ASUU chairperson highlighted several unresolved issues from the renegotiation of the FGN/ASUU 2009 agreement. These include members’ welfare, university autonomy, funding for revitalizing Nigerian universities, and the proliferation of public universities. He also mentioned the conditions of service outlined in the FGN/ASUU MoU 2012/2013 and the MoA of 2017, the illegal dissolution of governing councils in federal and state universities, and the release of outstanding salaries.
Ahmed elaborated on specific grievances, including unpaid salaries for sabbatical and adjunct members due to IPPIS inadequacies, the release of third-party deductions by IPPIS, payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), implementation of visitation panel reports, and the adoption of UTAS instead of IPPIS.
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“Based on all these, the members of our great union in this branch, like those of the other branches, are believing that the Federal Government is unwilling to decisively address the outstanding issues with the union, therefore, in line with the directives from the National secretariat, we resolved to hold a press conference and let the parents, the stakeholders in university education know of the situation and to be sensitized and well informed of the failure of the government to address these lingering issues,” he said. “The general public should be aware of the true state of affairs.”
Ahmed added that within the next three weeks, ASUU would mobilize its members and prepare for possible industrial action. He urged concerned citizens to pressure the government to engage with ASUU leadership to avoid a crisis in the already struggling university system.
“The union calls on all well-meaning discerning minds to prevail on Nigerian Government to attend to these outstanding issues and meet with our union leadership so as to avert an unnecessary and avoidable industrial crisis in our already frail and weak university system,” he concluded.
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