The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has urged Nigerians to blame the Federal Government if its members down tools and shut down public universities in the country.
The union maintained that it has done everything to avert the looming strike but the government and its agents have not demonstrated sincerity of purpose in dealing with the union
The ASUU-Nsukka Zone, in a statement issued Wednesday in Makurdi by its Zonal Coordinator, Raphael Amokaha, captioned “Let Good Conscience Prevail” recalled how the union was forced into a protracted strike in 2022 warning that a similar scenario was already playing out.
According to him, ‘The issues that were in contention at that time were the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, poor funding of our universities, the forceful usurpation of the duties of university bursary departments by the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS) and the concomitant issues that arose from this breach of university autonomy,
non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) (even though this was
captured in the 2023 budget) to our members and non-payment of other emoluments and entitlements.”
non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) (even though this was
captured in the 2023 budget) to our members and non-payment of other emoluments and entitlements.”
He recalled efforts made ‘to avoid an Industrial Action since the suspension of the last nationwide strike in October 2022, through the instrumentality of the National Industrial Court by the immediate past government and the current government had barely paid any attention to the agitations of ASUU.
“This attitude, unfortunate in its nonchalance, may be inspired by a delusional sense of conquest over ASUU. Why else would a government treat the cries and appeals of an intellectual union with such disdain and levity, especially coming in the wake of campaign promises that are still so fresh?
“ASUU in its characteristic patriotism and selflessness has been on the same issues for the last seven years. We do not consider it pertinent to dwell on these issues here for fear of sounding like broken records. The Union has bent backwards to avoid industrial disharmony in our public universities by seeking
an amicable resolution of the issues in contention.”
While noting that the government had completely failed to be responsive and committed to agreements reached with the union, Amokaha emphasised that “ASUU-Nsukka zone is of the firm conviction that our union has done everything sensible and possible to avert any further disruptions of academic activities in our public universities.
“And we are making this last ditch effort that public hearted individuals and all concerned citizens will lend their voices to our efforts to seek an amicable resolution of the concerns and agitations of our union