The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has encouraged Nigerians to pressure the federal government (FG) to meet its requests for improved welfare and administrative conditions at public universities.
The union made the request on Friday during a news conference at Abia State University (ABSU) in Uturu.
Happiness Uduk, zonal coordinator for ASUU Calabar zone, stated that the only option to avoid the impending nationwide strike was for the state and federal governments to satisfy the union’s demands.
Ms Uduk stated that the union had issued a two-week deadline for its requests to be addressed, warning that failing to do so would result in industrial action.
The union made the request on Friday during a news conference at Abia State University (ABSU) in Uturu.
Happiness Uduk, zonal coordinator for ASUU Calabar zone, stated that the only option to avoid the impending nationwide strike was for the state and federal governments to satisfy the union’s demands.
Ms Uduk stated that the union had issued a two-week deadline for its requests to be addressed, warning that failing to do so would result in industrial action.
She regretted that the FG had yet to fulfill its commitments under the FG-ASUU agreement in 2009, leading to stagnation in salary scales and overall welfare improvements.
She said: “Government had an agreement with ASUU in 2009, which tells us that for 15 years running, ASUU members have been on the same salary scale, nothing has changed.
“We are requesting that government should complete negotiations it started with us more than 13 years ago, first with the Babalakin-led team, then the Munzali-led team, finally the Briggs-led team.
“These people had completed the negotiations, and if the negotiations had been completed and Mr President had the document, we don’t know why, for a year now, he has not called us to talk to us about it.
“So, the government should, as a matter of urgency, address our renegotiation and take into account current realities, including inflation rate, exchange rate and whatever needs to go into that,” Ms Uduk said.
She called on the federal and state governments to address issues bordering on revitalisation funds for public universities, payment of earned academic allowances and withheld salaries, high taxation and victimisation of ASUU members
She also said that ASUU strongly insisted on the removal of its members in federal universities from the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS).
Ms Uduk further said that the high rate of taxation experienced by ASUU members was a result of “the introduction of an obnoxious platform” for salary payment.
“Whatever government has in mind with regards to that, it should use our University Transparency and Accountability Solution or any other platform that would originate from universities rather than the IPPIS,” she said.
She recommended replacing the FG’s student loan scheme with grants, which she claimed would relieve students’ financial stress and improve their academic performance.
Ms Uduk urged the FG to halt the proliferation of universities and instead focus on improving funding for existing ones in order to raise overall standards within the existing institutions.
She also urged for a speedy resolution to the minimum wage crisis and the implementation of a living wage gained in saner countries.
On Abia, the ASUU zonal coordinator urged the Abia government to fulfil the 11-month salary arrears owed to ABSU lecturers.
“We are not negotiating any part of that salary for anything because we have worked, taught students and examined them, and some of them have graduated,” Ms Uduk said.
She urged the Abia government to discontinue the use of Treasury Single Account in the payment of ABSU lecturers’ salaries and address the recent inconsistency in the payment of salaries.
According to her, the government is owing April, May and June salaries.
“Let the Abia Government leave payment in the hands of the university administrators and a platform that is consistent with the institution’s operations.
“But it can do its oversight as far as ABSU is concerned,” she said.
Ms Uduk said that some ASUU members at the Ebonyi State University had been suspended for more than two years without salary.
“We call on the Ebonyi governor to look into the peculiarities of the problems in the state university and ensure that our members are reinstated forthwith,” she said.
Ms Uduk stated that the ongoing interaction with stakeholders was to encourage Nigerians to petition the government to do the necessary, “otherwise, in two weeks, ASUU will go on strike.”
The union previously organised an interactive session with key stakeholders, including parents, children, and traditional leaders.