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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Calabar Zone, has warned the Federal Government against actions capable of triggering industrial unrest in Nigerian universities over inability to implement agreements reached with the union.
ASUU coordinator, Calabar zone, Ikechukwu Igwenyi, made the declaration during a press conference in Abakaliki yesterday.
Igwenyi condemned the continued withholding of lecturers’ salaries under the “No Work, No Pay” policy, describing it as an attempt to reduce academics to “daily-paid menial workers.”
According to him, lecturers carried out their academic responsibilities and students had since graduated, yet payments for the work done remained outstanding.
“We would like Nigerians to note that withholding workers’ salaries on account of ‘No Work, No Pay’ is reducing academics to daily-paid menial workers and ASUU resists this vehemently,” he said.
The ASUU coordinator also decried the non-payment of pensions to retired academics in several state-owned universities, alleging that some retirees had gone for years without receiving any pension benefits.
He criticised the Federal Government for allegedly failing to implement the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement, particularly the payment of the Consistent and Appropriate Transportation Allowance (CATA), Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and Professorial Allowances.
According to Igwenyi, government officials had publicly claimed that all conditions of the agreement had been fulfilled, whereas no financial commitment had been made.
“The refusal to implement the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement is an explicit statement that our labour to educate Nigerians does not matter,” he said.
He noted that the agreement covered issues such as conditions of service, funding and revitalisation of universities, university autonomy and academic freedom.
He listed unresolved issues to include payment of CATA, EAA, Professorial Allowances, inauguration of the ASUU/FGN Agreement Implementation Committee, implementation of agreements in state-owned universities and remittance of withheld third-party deductions.
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The union also expressed concern over the worsening economic situation in the country, saying lecturers had been subjected to poverty due to inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies.
He alleged that governments had consistently withheld third-party deductions, including check-off dues, savings and loan repayments, without remitting them to the appropriate bodies.
The ASUU leader specifically cited alleged cases in Abia State University, Ebonyi State University and University of Cross River State.
He warned that continued non-remittance of deductions could lead to unrest among members.
He reiterated that university autonomy remained non-negotiable and accused governments of undermining the education sector through poor funding and political interference.
He said the situation was contributing to brain drain and the deterioration of infrastructure in public universities.
ASUU, therefore, called on the Federal Government to immediately inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) to ensure full implementation of agreements reached with the union.
The union also demanded immediate release of all withheld salaries, including those of 2020 and 2022, payment of the 25/35 percent salary award of 2023, remittance of all outstanding third-party deductions and an end to political interference in university administration.
It further urged the government to review the operations of the National Research Council (NRC) in line with the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement.
He warned that if the government failed to address the demands, it should be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that might arise in public universities.
“The government does not have to wait for a strike action to do the needful. For us, there is no going back because the soul of our nation’s future and the bedrock of our national development are at stake,” he said
