Less than 24 hours after the federal government opened fresh talks with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to avert a looming strike in the university sector, the lecturers have renewed their threat to embark on a national strike.
Yesterday, several chapters of the union in federal and state universities staged protests on campuses and addressed press conferences on their resolve to embark on yet another strike.
In Oyo State, members of ASUU of the University of Ibadan (UI) protested against the precarious conditions under which they work, saying they are determined to ensure the nation’s university is not destroyed.
ASUU chairman, University of Ibadan chapter, Professor Ayo Akinwole, said the union would not allow the federal and state governments to destroy the university system in Nigeria.
On Wednesday, the federal government held a closed-door meeting with ASUU to avert the pending strike.
The minister of education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, led the government delegation.
ASUU president Emmanuel Osodeke, who led the union’s delegation, told newsmen that the meeting was to deliberate on lingering issues affecting the universities to avert the planned industrial action.
In Ibadan yesterday, Akinwole, who spoke during the protest, emphasised that the union had a duty to defend university education in Nigeria and safeguard knowledge production for future generations.
He said, “Members of the union subscribe to unions, cooperatives, and other societies within their respective universities, where they pay monthly check-off dues, deductions, contributions, etc. In accordance with labour laws and industrial best practices, these third-party deductions are deducted directly from their salaries and should be remitted to the beneficiary unions and societies.
“Due to the challenges with IPPIS, these dues have been deducted by IPPIS operators since February 2020, yet many of these deductions have not been remitted. This is not only sabotage but also fraudulent.
“We cannot allow the university system in Nigeria to be destroyed by successive transient governments. It is our historic duty as intellectuals to defend university education in Nigeria and protect knowledge production for future generations.”
ASUU chairman, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Babatunde Lawal, urged both federal and state governments to prioritise funding for tertiary education, adding that the union’s demands were legitimate, especially its rejection of IPPIS.
“IPPIS violates university autonomy and the Acts establishing universities. In addition to this illegality, IPPIS is notorious for its fraudulent practices that impose undue hardship on Nigerian academics and disrupt university operations in payroll management.
“ASUU continues to reject IPPIS. We are concerned that more than four months after the government directed federal universities and other tertiary institutions to exit the discredited payment platform, our members’ salaries are still arbitrarily withheld.
“Moreover, third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, pension deductions, and union check-off dues) remain unreleased. The platform, under the guise of ‘New IPPIS,’ continues to be used contrary to the Federal Executive Council’s directive,” he said.
The ASUU chapter of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) said it would support nationwide indefinite strike if the federal government fails to meet the union’s demands after the 21-day ultimatum.
The union took the unanimous decision on Thursday during its congress that lasted about one hour at UNN.
Comrade Oyibo Eze, the chairman of UNN-ASUU, told the members during congress that the congress’ aim was to get members’ opinions on the 21-day ultimatum given to the federal government by the ASUU national leadership to address the union’s demands since 2009 or risk a nationwide indefinite strike.
“I thank you all for speaking in one voice to support a nationwide strike at the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum. It’s unfortunate that all the agreements federal government signed with ASUU since 2009 have not been implemented.
“This congress resolution is that if after 21 days the government fails to do the needful by implementing all agreements entered with ASUU since 2009, the national leadership should proceed on an indefinite nationwide strike.
“Members in this congress say enough is enough of government insincerity in redeeming the agreements it signed since 2009,” he said
The congress members had carried out a peaceful protest march from the Faculty of Social Science to UNN Main Gate, and ended up at the Administrative Building, where the union handed over a protest letter to the UNN acting vice-chancellor.
Some of the placards carried by ASUU protesters had these inscriptions: “Kill Education, kill the Nation,” “Nigeria lecturers are the least paid globally,” and “The government should honour the agreement with ASUU since 2009. It is a moral question,” “Government stop forcing ASUU to embark on strike,” “Government, don’t kill university education in Nigeria,” and “No pay, no work,” among others.
Oyibo handed over the protest letter to Prof Romanus Ezeokonkwo, the acting VC, who was represented by Prof Johnson Urama, the deputy vice-chancellor, Academic.
The ASUU chapter at the Plateau State University, Bokkos, also staged a protest march over the federal government’s failure to implement the 2009 agreement reached with the union, as per the Nimi Briggs Committee report, and other issues affecting public universities
The chairman of the union, Dr Monday Hassan Zitta, and the secretary, Dr Lomka Iliya Kopdiya, at a press conference on Thursday at the University campus, stated that their protest was in compliance with the directive of the ASUU national executive council (NEC).
They lamented that successive governments had deliberately refused to honour its agreement with ASUU in 2009 on critical issues regarding conditions of service, funding, and university autonomy agreement, which would be in the best interest of the masses.
They recalled that in their campaign promises, politicians, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, promised that these issues would be resolved and that there would be no more strikes.
“However, it has been over a year now, and they have demonstrated a clear unwillingness to take any action to solve these problems”.
According to the duo, the country’s compounding economic hardship has made it so difficult that many highly ranked lecturers, who should be present to mentor the upcoming ones, are leaving the country in search of better opportunities.
Part of the protest was also about the non-implementation of the 20-25-35% wage award for Plateau University staff in the state and the exclusion of university workers in the payment of palliatives as well as the absence of a governing council in their state university, among other unaddressed matters.
They emphasised that Plateau State University is a public university that has benefited tremendously from the past struggles of the union, and they called on the federal and state governments to take seriously the responsibility of ensuring quality university education.
The union expressed hope that these protests would sensitise the public, particularly the civil society, religious leaders, and women in Nigeria to intervene to prevent a looming strike.
The ASUU chapter at the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) also threatened to resume the suspended strike, disclosing that the state government had failed to implement the set of demands as promised during negotiations leading to the suspension of the last strike.
The union listed issues concerning staff welfare, the non-constitution of the governing council, funding, the rehabilitation of academic infrastructure, and electricity, especially at the Obio Akpa, Oruk Anam LGA campus, as the core grievances of its members.
Speaking in Uyo, the state capital, yesterday, the ASUU branch chairman, Dr Inyang Udosen, called on the governor and visitor to the University, Pastor Umo Eno, to constitute the governing board without delay.
Udosen explained that the call for increased funding from the present N325m to N500m subvention became necessary to address the intermittent power supply and recruit more academic staff to reduce the workload of lecturers.
He said: “Since the tenure of the last Governing Council in June 2023, the ASUU branch notes with deep regret that there is no Council to run and regulate the affairs of the University, which is exactly one year after the expiration of the last Council.
“The state governor, who is the Visitor, during his meeting and interaction with all the Staff Unions of the University on 7th February 2024, promised to set up the Council.
“ASUU-AKSU branch frowns at the non-constitution of the governing council and hereby uses this medium to remind the governor of his promise to do so, and appeals to him to constitute it without any further delay.”
The lectures’ union expressed grave concern about the state of affairs in AKSU, especially the insufficient power supply on the Obio Akpa campus, where power is supplied only between 9am and 2pm daily.
“This rationed power supply cannot support academic learning, teaching and research. It is in view of the above that ASUU-AKSU branch calls for increment in subvention to the University to the tune of not less than N500 million in line with economic realities of the day.” It said.
The union further lamented that the university had not had a hostel facility since it was established 13 years ago, noting that this has exposed students to danger and exploitation by the surrounding communities.
