•Says varsities not revenue generating agencies
By Gabriel Dike
National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed branch chairmen to begin mobilisation of members in public universities nationwide.
The decision was taken during a meeting HELD at Kaduna State University (KASU), Kaduna State, to press home the implementation of its outstanding demands.
ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, In a statement, entitled: “Deepening socio-economic crisis and the Nigeria university system,” said NEC discussed several issues affecting the Nigerian University System (NUS) and the country.
He said NEC noted with serious concern the deepening socio-economic crises in the country occasioned by the implementation of neoliberal economic policies by the current administration. “In particular, NEC noted the unbearable rising cost of living and increasing hardship foisted on the Nigerian masses since the unplanned deregulation of the prices of petroleum products and the unbridled devaluation of the naira.”
According to him, the meeting reviewed the state of the struggle for improved conditions of service, funding for revitalisation, university autonomy and academic freedom, removal of federal universities from the imposed Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
He said other issues discussed included the amendment of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Act to curb the unbridled proliferation of state universities, and other related matters.
Osodeke said NEC observed that successive governments have failed to honour several agreements reached with the union, especially the renegotiation of the 2009 Federal Government/ASUU agreement.
“NEC noted that even the little gains of the 2022 strike which led to budgetary provisions of funding for revitalisation and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) are yet to be activated due to the non-release of the allocated funds,” the union president said.
He disclosed ASUU called on the Federal Government to set in motion the process of concluding the renegotiation exercise in line with the fundamental principles of the Prof. Nimi Briggs’ committee and release the funds allocated for the payment of EAA.
Osodeke said towards this end, NEC directed all branches of ASUU to immediately commence the conscious mobilisation of its members.
He also said the union reviewed the implications of the recent directive to federal universities to remit 40 per cent of their Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to the coffers of government.
“NEC condemns the directive in its entirety because it would further impoverish and emasculate NUS. For the avoidance of doubt, universities are not revenue generating agencies because the obligatory fees paid by students are to provide the necessary tools for them to be properly educated,” Osodeke said.
The meeting called on the relevant institutions of state to remove universities from this category of government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) regarded as revenue generating centres because of its implications for affordability and accessibility of education in the country.
He said NEC noted with concern the deliberate attempt by the accountant general’s office to further impoverish its members by the refusal to pay the promotion arrears of majority since 2018.
“NEC also reviewed the unsatisfactory reports on payment of the withheld eight months’ salaries by government on account of the patriotic strike of our members in 2022. The union called on the Federal Government to unconditionally release all the withheld salaries as a demonstration of the new administration’s desire to permanently resolve all outstanding issues related to the last strike of our union. NEC is worried about the continued victimisation and onslaught against our members at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and Lagos State University, Ojo.”