“Blame The Federal Government if Universities Are Shut Down Again”, ASUU
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on another strike over alleged non-payment of salaries and victimisation of members, asking Nigerians to blame the Federal Government if universities are shut down again.
The chairman of ASUU at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, while speaking to newsmen on Sunday, alleged that the Federal Government and the Accountant General of the Federation are victimising its members by refusing to pay them “salaries running between two to 10 months despite suspending the strike” hence, breaching a “no victimisation clause” agreed upon during the dialogue that led to the suspension of the strike on 23 December,2020.
“The suspension of the strike was based on an agreement reached and an MOA signed in good faith between the government and ASUU at the stakeholders’ meeting held on Tuesday, 22nd December 2020”.
He lamented that a major position agreed upon by the government and ASUU was that no one should be victimised in any way for his/her role in the process leading to the Memorandum of Action.
“Contrary to FGN affirmation of its commitment to pay all withheld salaries of ASUU members who have not enrolled in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information system (IPPIS), three months after the suspension of Strike, thousands of ASUU members across various branch are still being owed salaries.
“Instead of deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) software developed by ASUU, which has been adjudged effective for payment of salaries, some of our members are still being denied their salaries and others are being coerced by agents of the government to register on the repressive IPPIS for payment of salaries.
“These harsh conditions would have terrible consequences on public tertiary education in Nigeria and when push eventually comes to shove, as it definitely will in no distant future, the Nigerian public should accordingly blame the Federal Government for its insincerity” he said.
Recall that on December 23, 2020, ASUU conditionally suspended the strike it began on March 23, 2020, owing to the government’s failure to address the outstanding issues as outlined in the collective bargaining agreements of 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2019.
