FG pushing us to nationwide strike

•Rejects loan scheme, holds mass rally on campuses next week

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said it has concluded plans to hold mass rallies within university campuses next week to reawaken the consciousness of the Federal Government to its plights.

The union president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, told journalists at a press conference in Jos, yesterday, that government has been insensitive to the plight of lecturers despite several peaceful approach ASUU has adopted as well as reminders through letters and other means. He insisted that the actions of the government are “pushing the union to the walls” which he said could result in an industrial disharmony.

Piwuna said ASUU members have been asked to come out enmasse to participate in the planned rallies across campuses next week.

“This rally will be the first shot at the government, and it will signal many other things to come. We reassure members that no one will hinder us from addressing the challenges ahead.

“But for the benefit of the doubt, the issues include the re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement; sustainable funding of our universities; revitalization of universities; victimization of our colleagues in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University) and FUTO.”

ASUU asked Nigerians to note that it had tried several ways and strategies to resolve the conflict in the education sector, and should also note that it has written several letters to the federal government drawing its attention to the need to resolve the crisis amicably.

“Sadly, the Federal Government has always turned a deaf ear to all our pleas. As always, it is the Federal Government that consistently pushed our union to embark on a strike action, and it is clear that ASUU may have no other option than to embark on an action to press the government to listen to our demands and do the needful,” it said.

Meanwhile, the union said it has rejected the proposition requesting ASUU to write a letter for its members to access the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), a loan scheme aimed at enhancing welfare and professional growth of the tertiary institution workforce.

“Our members do not lack where to find loans. In fact, they are already deep in debt from such loans. What we need now is for the government to sign our renegotiated agreement, which will improve our purchasing power and decrease our reliance on debts from cooperative societies. We considered TISSF a poison chalice.

“It is needless to add that the government is still owing our members three and half months salaries for work done. The government should use the money set aside for the loans to defray our withheld salaries. Members are advised to stay away from the loan and focus on our legitimate entitlements because it is a bait.

“This loan will, undoubtedly, incapacitate university-based cooperative societies resulting in perpetual enslavement of our members. The obvious implication is that after deducting the union dues, NHIA, pension contribution, and co-operative deductions, nothing would be left for the family.”

The union commended the government for the decision to place a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new universities. “This is a matter ASUU has long advocated. For more than 10 years, our union has cried aloud on the harmful effects of establishing mushroom universities that the government has no plans to develop. In total disregard for time-tested planning and ideas that hitherto went into establishing universities, we have watched universities turn into compensation for political patronage.

“So, ASUU was not surprised when the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated that over 30 universities had zero subscriptions for admission. We have drawn the attention of the authorities to the fact that spreading scarce resources over a large surface area was meaningless and wasteful.

“We have 72 Federal, 108 State Universities, 159 Private Universities bringing it to a total of 339 Universities, giving each state and the FCT an average of 9 Universities, excluding Polytechnics/Colleges of Education. Many of them lack adequate subscriptions as indicated in the data available to JAMB.”