University Lecturers Are Neck-deep In Loans – ASUU Chair

What is the reason for the latest agitation by ASUU?

The reason for the latest agitation of ASUU is that, largely, our demands have not been attended to by federal government.

What are the ASUU Demands?

Renegotiation of 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement:

It is public knowledge that our salary has been merely the same for the past 16 years. There was an understanding that the 2009 agreement would be reviewed every three years. However, it took the government eight years to constitute the renegotiation committee for that purpose in 2017. Since 2017, various committees have been set up by the government to renegotiate the agreement with ASUU. These include the Wale Babalakin-led Joint Renegotiation Committee, the Munzali Jubril-led Committee, and later the Late Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs-led Committee, which ultimately resulted in a draft Agreement between the Committee and ASUU in 2021, However, the Muhammadu Buhari government refused to sign the draft agreement as proposed by its own representative, the late Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs. Since the coming of President Tinubu’s government, the union opted to give the new administration enough time to address persistent challenges in public universities but, was disappointed. There are no visible serious efforts by the government to redress the ugly situation thus far. This has led to the pauperization of academics in Nigeria compared to their counterparts elsewhere across the world.

Is the issue of the three Months Withheld Salaries :

(Cuts in) Our members in federal universities have not received the three and a half months’ salaries that were withheld during the preventable nationwide strike action of 2022, despite having covered the lost grounds in curriculum after the strike action. ASUU condemns the apparent disinterest of concerned authorities in the lives of our members across campuses. We warn that it would be unfortunate if our Union is forced to take unpleasant actions to demand redress of these outstanding issues.

What is your problem with the dissolution of Governing Councils in Federal and State Universities?

ASUU had declared its opposition to the unlawful dissolution of Governing Councils in public universities, even in cases where no wrongdoing has been reported and the councils have not yet served out their terms. Rather than taking the necessary action, the Tinubu-led administration hurriedly reconstituted the council and then proceeded to further polarize the list by designating political allies, supporters, and godfathers as members and chairmen of the majority of the councils.

Your union is also complaining about the non-payment and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance in Public Universities.

The 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement clearly stipulated that the federal government would fund the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA). This commitment was reaffirmed in the December 2020 Memorandum of Action (MoA), which emphasised the integration of EAA into the monthly salaries of academic staff, with the next tranche scheduled for disbursement in 2021. Subsequently, ASUU and the federal government agreed on a total payment of N50 billion to offset outstanding EAA obligations.

Earlier this year, the federal government released the N50 billion. However, contrary to the agreement that the funds were exclusively for academic staff, the amount was distributed among all university staff. This resulted in a shortfall, with N10 billion still owed to academic staff. Furthermore, the mainstreaming of EAA-originally slated to commence in 2022-has yet to be implemented in federal and most state universities, rendering the commitment unfulfilled.

Ibadan zone, for example, In LAUTECH, a larger percentage of EAA since 2013 is still outstanding. In KWASU on the other hand, EAA has not been paid since 2016. The EAA of our UNIOSUN members was arbitrarily amputated by 50% between 2015 and 2019, Also, in EAUED, EAA has never been paid since 2022, Gentlemen of the Press, despite our efforts, we are yet to receive a positive response from the government. Also, third party deductions have not been paid in most Nigerian Universities.

How have your members been coping to meet their financial demands?

We have been coping through loans. Many of our members are into three or more cooperative societies. We are neck-deep with loans.

Your union is also talking about the establishment of more universities…

We are dismayed by the proliferation of universities by the federal and state governments. We will again remind the governments that the issue of proliferation was one of the reasons for the previous strike.

Rather than supporting or advocating for adequate funding for existing public universities, the National Assembly has turned the establishment of universities to constituency projects, whereas governors who cannot fund existing universities are establishing two or more solely for electoral gains.

What is your problem with the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund ?

NEC considered this policy of government and decisively rejected the proposition requesting ASUU to write a letter for its members to access the loan. Our members do not lack where to find loans; indeed, they are already neck deep in debt from such loans. What we need now is for government to sign our renegotiated agreement, which will improve our purchasing power and decrease our reliance on debts from cooperative societies. We considered it a poison chalice and redirect members to ask our employers the Governing Councils through Vice Chancellors to “guarantee” the loan,

You also complained about the alleged victimization of your members in LASU, KSU, and FUTO.

For the umpteenth time, the Ibadan zone of ASUU frowns at the inhuman treatment being meted out to our members in Lagos State University (LASU). Ojoo: Kogi State University (KSU), Anyingba; and Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). The trump up charges against them include victimization of leadership of the union in the branches, challenging the illegal

What are the past efforts made by ASUU leadership to get the agreement implemented by the past and current Gov’t?

Since the coming of President Tinubu’s government, the union opted to give the new administration enough time to address persistent challenges in public universities through Prof. Yayale Ahmed led Committeee but was disappointed. There are no visible serious efforts by the government to redress the ugly situation thus far. This has led to the pauperization of academics in Nigeria compared to their counterparts elsewhere across the world.

The FGN has also failed to pay the 3½ months of the withheld salaries of our members in federal universities. The three and a half months’ salaries that were withheld during the preventable nationwide strike action of 2022, despite having covered the lost grounds in curriculum after the strike action.

Locally, the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) of our members are still not paid. It is not true that all the EAA was inherited. In the last six years of the administration of His Excellency, Mallam AbduRasaq AbdulRahman, nothing has been paid as EAA.

The branch therefore pleads with his Excellency, to pay his parts of EAA, if not all.