Federal Govt Forcing Us To Embark On Fresh Strike – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU), Abuja zone, has accused the federal government of precipitating another round of industrial crisis in the university system by the non-deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), non-release of outstanding EAA and revitalisation funds, amongst others.

The zone, comprising Federal University of Lafia, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nasarawa State University, keffi, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, and the University of Abuja, said it can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in public universities due to the ongoing attitude of government to the Memoradum of Actions (MoAs) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs).

Zonal coordinator of the union, Dr. Salahu Mohammed Lawal, who disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, urged Nigerians and parents with children in public universities to hold the government responsible for the consequences that may arise from the non-implementation of the MoA.

“Recall that our union signed an MoA with the Government leading to the suspension of the 2020 strike action in February 2021 but almost 9 months on, the ASUU is again calling on the Government to honour its promises to the Nigerian people on the immediate deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS),” he said.

According to him, the government, as it has always done, again reneged on its promises to the Union and the nation, a development that could lead to another industrial action in the Universities.

The Union, therefore, demanded, “The implementation of all out outstanding provisions in the 7th February, 2021 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action, the immediate deployment of ASUU’s innovation of a more robust system of human resource management and compensation, called UTAS, immediate payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) to our members.

“The full implementation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement as renegotiated in 2021, based on ILO’s collective bargaining principles, immediate action on the report of the presidential visitation panels to federal universities without delay and immediate action on the recommendation of the committee on state universities.”

He added that signing into law the draft renegotiated 2009 agreement, and the release of Revitalisation Funds to public Universities will address the deplorable conditions under which students live and learn.

“ASUU has for long laid bare to both Government and Nigerians the decrepit state of infrastructure on our campuses which has been the bane of research activities in our Universities. Our call for urgent intervention in this respect has been acknowledged by the government,” he added.

Culled from the Leadership News Nigeria