Nationwide ASUU Strike Looms As FG Owes Universities N800 Billion

 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria, ASUU, has said that the union may embark on a nationwide industrial action, should the federal government fail to implement the agreements reached with the union in 2009 and 2013 respectively which basically has to do with revitalisation of the Nigerian university system .

The union said it is earnestly hoping and praying that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari responds as fast as possible to the demands that ASUU has placed on its table through the federal ministry of education .

Chairman of ASUU Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, associate Professor Dennis Aribodo who spoke with a team of journalists on Thursday in Awka , further disclosed that ASUU is angry with the federal government and no longer patient after 7 years the union signed an agreement with the government of the federation .

Aribodo said that NAU chapter of ASUU has met and resolved that should the federal government fail to live up to its responsibilities in honouring the 2009 agreement reached with the union and the 2013 memorandum of understanding signed by the union , it should not blame ASUU for anything that happens after November 12 , 2016 .

He said that due to government’s inability to provide the required funds to enable public universities function effectively , ASUU embarked on strike in 2013 which he said lasted for 6 months inorder to compel government to honour the agreement reached adding that the strike prompted government to sign another MOU in 2013 that led to the release of the first 200 billion naira for all the universities for 2013 . He therefore expressed displeasure that those of 2014 , 2015 and 2016 have not been released stressing that the federal government is owing public universities about 800 billion naira .

Aribodo also revealed that end-academic allowances of lecturers have not been paid from 2009 till date and that ASUU members are no longer comfortable with the situation . Another pressing issue he pointed out was the National Universities Pension Company .He said that even though the union has met all the conditions necessary , people still retire without pension benefits .

According to him , other salient issues that the union have been grappling with include salary shortfalls , inadequate funding , reduction in budgetary allocations to Nigerian universities adding that at the moment , lecturers in the federal and state universities do not receive complete salaries . He said ASUU therefore calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to arrest the impending danger that is about to befall the nation’s education sector.