The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a fresh 14-day ultimatum, threatening a nationwide strike, citing growing frustration and hardship among lecturers. The union emphasized that its members are “hungry and angry” over the unresolved issues plaguing the education sector.
The Owerri Zone of ASUU called on the governors of Imo and Anambra states, Hope Uzodimma and Professor Charles Soludo, respectively, to prioritize the welfare of lecturers at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University and Imo State University. The appeal was made during a press conference in Owerri, the Imo State capital, by the Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Dennis Aribodor.
The Owerri Zone comprises Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam, Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Anambra State, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State University, and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Ebonyi State.
According to Dr. Aribodor, the 14-day extension of the ultimatum offers the government a critical window to resolve the lingering issues and avert another industrial crisis in public universities.
“ASUU does not accept the government’s excuse of insufficient funds to address the ongoing disputes. The issue is not financial incapacity but a lack of political will,” Aribodor asserted.
He further explained that recent revenue inflows from subsidy removal and Naira devaluation, which have significantly boosted monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements to the federal and state governments, contradict the government’s claims of a cash crunch.
Aribodor urged the Nigerian public to intervene, noting that the government’s delay tactics and lack of commitment are escalating tensions within the public university system.
“Lecturers are hungry and angry! We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to pressure the government into taking immediate action. Education is the backbone of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the Nigerian ruling class must stop undermining public education, which they themselves benefited from in their time,” Aribodor added.
He expressed concern over the government’s failure to address non-monetary issues, particularly the removal of universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), despite both a presidential directive and a court ruling in ASUU’s favor. The union has proposed an alternative payment platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which it believes would better serve the university system.
The key issues, some of which have remained unresolved for seven years, include the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on the 2021 Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement. ASUU also demands the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 strike, unpaid wages for lecturers on sabbatical and adjunct appointments affected by IPPIS, and the clearance of third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions.
Additionally, the union is pushing for funding for the revitalization of public universities and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), both of which were partly included in the 2023 federal budget.
ASUU also stressed the need to curb the proliferation of universities by the federal and state governments and called for the implementation of the reports from visitation panels to universities.
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