Barely two months after the Academic
Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), called
off its nearly-six-month strike, the
university system may soon be thrown
into another round of crisis, which
portends dire consequences, if not
immediately nipped in the bud.
This is against the backdrop of the fact
that the education sector is already in a
near-comatose, with the current strike
actions embarked upon by the Academic
Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), and
the Colleges of Education Academic Staff
Union (COEASU).
ASUU yesterday, in Ibadan, the Oyo State
capital, alerted the nation of an alleged
non-compliance by the Federal
Government with the agreement signed
between both parties, last December,
prior to ASUU’s decision to call off the
industrial action.
Accusing the President Goodluck Jonathan
administration of breaching its agreement
with the union, ASUU pleaded with
Nigerians to prevail on the Federal
Government to see to the implementation
of the contract, particularly the aspect
that deals with funding of universities, so
as to prevent another round of strikes.
ASUU’s National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola
Aremu, who made the appeal on behalf of
the union, alleged that the Federal
Government had not kept its own side of
the bargain.
Aremu recalled that the government had
promised to fund universities, but
wondered why, despite the assurances, it
was yet to do so.
The Federal Government recently released
N200 billion to the universities before
ASUU called off its strike, with an
expectation that a total sum of N1.3
trillion would be released in the next six
years.
The resolution was signed between ASUU
and the Federal Government on December
11, 2013, in the presence of the President
of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),
Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar.
On Tuesday, December 17, 2013, the
National Executive Council (NEC) of the
lecturers’ body resolved to suspend the
strike it embarked upon on July 1, 2013,
and directed its members to resume work
forthwith.
But with the latest development, the
education sector may, once again, witness
another near-collapse, if ASUU rejoins the
recent strikes embarked upon by ASUP
and COEASU.
Aremu said: “ASUU members are not
strike mongers; our last strike was
inevitable, although it was preventable. Of
the N220 billion that the Federal
Government promised to release to our
universities for their development, as we
are talking now, the money that is to be
warehoused with the Central Bank is yet
to be released. The Federal Government’s
promises remain just promises. We are
appealing to Nigerians, through the
media, to help us appeal to the Federal
Government to make the promises
become a reality.”
ASUU maintained that, inasmuch as its
members would not want to resort to
strikes in settling issues with the
government, they would want Nigerians to
know that the conditions of the
universities really needed to be improved
upon.
Also, the chairman of the University of
Ibadan chapter of the union, Dr.
Olusegun Ajiboye, insisted that all that
ASUU members stand for, is a free
society, where individuals’ rights and
entitlements are not trampled upon.
Ajiboye said ASUU members would
continue to kick against injustice in the
country until governments do the right
thing.
He urged the media, more than ever, to
sensitise Nigerians on the plight of ASUU
and its members in universities and allied
institutions, maintaining that the struggle
was meant for all Nigerians, irrespective
of status.
“A current case in point is the recent sack
of over 90 workers at CRIN (Cocoa
Research Institute of Nigeria), simply
because their appointments were not
confirmed. This development is
unacceptable to ASUU, and we are kicking
against it. Nigeria must be a free state for
everybody.
“Despite the fact that ASUU was initially
called names during our strike, is ASUU
not vindicated at the end of the day?
What we are saying is that ASUU’s
struggle is for all. We appreciate the
contribution of the media to our struggle,
and we urge you not to relent,” he stated.
In the same vein, the union had recently
directed its members not to fill forms,
distributed by the National Universities
Commission (NUC), warning that it may
lead to an industrial action.
The NUC had given out the forms for a
new method of payment, tagged:
Integrated Payroll and Personal
Information System (IPPIS).
The directive was given by the same
University of Ibadan branch of ASUU,
claiming that the method of payment had
been roundly condemned in the health
sector after noticeable flaws in the
system.
The lecturers cautioned the NUC not to
distract them now that they were trying to
cover lost grounds occasioned by the six-
month strike, while declaring that the
method of payment negated the principle
of university autonomy agreed upon since
1992.
“Our attention has been drawn to NUC’s
circular, directing university staff to fill
IPPIS forms. This is to remind you that the
union’s position on IPPIS has not
changed. Until NEC reviews its earlier
decision, no ASUU should fill the form.
NEC is to discuss this issue later this
month (February) and give further
directive. United we bargain, divided we
beg.”
Ajiboye said, “the integrated payment
system does not take into consideration
the peculiarity of the work of academic
staff, and it negates the principle of
autonomy, which ASUU won since 1992.
“IPPS negates the principle of university
autonomy that ASUU fought for. We are
employed by our respective governing
councils, and not centrally by NUC. For
salaries to be paid from Abuja is strange
to the world university system, apart from
the dangers inherent in it,” he said.
Attempts to get reactions from the
Minister of Education, Dr. Nyesom Wike,
yesterday was unsuccessful, as he was
said to be outside the country on official
assignment, while the Permanent
Secretary in the ministry could also not
be reached.
Wike’s Personal Assistant, Mr. Lambert
Oparah, told Sunday Newswatch, in a
telephone conversation yesterday, that he
was not competent to comment on the
said looming strike. His words: “Please, I
am not competent to speak on the topic.
Only the minister or the Permanent
Secretary can make statements or
comments on such matters. The minister
is out of the country on official duty and
the Permanent Secretary cannot be
reached until Monday. But I assure you
that the minister will speak on it on
Monday (tomorrow).”
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