Strike looms in varsities as ASUU tasks FG on immediate implementation of renegotiated agreements

From Jude Owuamanam, Jos

Addressing newsmen in Jos on Friday, the union regretted that for the past decade after many strikes and after three committees had renegotiated the agreement, the Federal Government is still foot dragging on the issue despite the determination of the university system and downturn in the economy.

Prof.Naumwa Voncir, who read the text of the press briefing, said that the union had at an Executive Council(NEC) meeting of the Union at the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, between Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th February,2024.At the meeting, done a comprehensive review of the state of its engagements with Federal and State Governments on how to reposition Nigeria’s public Universities for global reckoning by arresting the worsening living and working conditions in the Universities and the nation at large.

He said that the Union at the Bauchi zone comprising six Universities (UniJos, ATBU,FUK,GSU, PLASU and BASUG) is deeply disturbed by the reports it received, on the failure of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to fulfil its promises to the Union.

The statement read, “Recall that the failure of the FGN to honour several agreements forced the Union to painstakingly resume a nationwide strike action that lasted from February-October 2022.Suffice it to state that prior to the resumption of the national strike action,ASUU had engage key stakeholders,written several letters and addressed press conferences to get the FGN to fulfil its part of the several agreements/Memoranda between ASUU and FGN but to no avail.We are greatly concerned with the continuing decay in the University system including the unabated brain drain.

ASUU regretted that for the past 15 years, the union had engaged in renegotiating the FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement.

The text read in part, “For the avoidance of doubts,the FGN/ASUU agreement is made up of three important components: conditions of service; funding; and University Autonomy.ASUU’s demand for negotiated wages with the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) is anchored on The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention No. 98 which provides the principle of collective bargaining.Following the FGN/ASUU Agreement reached in 2009 in which it was provided that it would be reviewed every 3 years, the Union has been without a renegotiated agreement with the FGN for 15 years.Recalled that, owing to the Union’s persistent call forthe review of the 2009 Agreement,the Federal Government set up the Wale Babalakin-led Joint Renegotiation Committee in 2017.

“For reasons known to Government, and the insistence of the Chairman on the introduction of tuition fees, the process was stalled for over two years.Consequently, another renegotiation committee was reconstituted with Prof Munzali Jibril as Chairman. Under the new Chairman, much progress was made,as a Draft Agreement was ready within three(3) months.However,government refused to sign the draft agreement for some inexplicable reasons advanced by some agencies of government despite four years. Renegotiation with Nimi Brigs was completed within six months.

“However,the then Minister of Labour and Employment,Dr.Chris Ngige, acting the script of his master truncated the process at the point of signing the reviewed draft agreement.From 2021 till date,the document has remained in its draft form.

“The most obvious implication of the truncation of the renegotiation of the Agreement is that University teachers in Nigeria have been on the same salary regime since 2009 when the value of naira to a dollar was N120. Today, it is aboveN1,700.It is no longer news that the salaries of the highest paid professor, on the average, has-been reduced to a meagre $210/month. This is one of the least in the world.Unfortunately, even the unilateral award of 35% and 25% by the despotic Buhari led administration,which had been activated through the National Wages,Salaries and Income Commission(NWSIC)through a circular, remains a promissory note more than one year after.

“If the ruling class truly love Nigeria,they must demonstrate realisation of the fact that no nation can truly be greater than the quality and commitment of its scholars. Funding has declined to near zero allocation from both the FGN and States to Universities. University Autonomy has been eroded very fast.

ASUU called on the President Tinubu led administration to immediately set in motion the process for the review and signing of the Nimi Briggs led renegotiated draft agreement as a mark of goodwill and assured hope for Nigeria’s public Universities.Our members are tired of platitudes laced with disdain for intellectuals; only concrete steps to restore their eroded dignity and degraded lives can guarantee lasting industrial peace on our campuses.

They listed such issues as withheld Salaries, arrears of Earned Academic Allowances, illegal Dissolution of Governing Councils, integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard(CCMAS)

ASUU said that despite the fact that Government had removed the union from IPPIS, some fraudulent government officials are trying to reintroduce what they described as fraudulent payment system.

The union also expressed worries over proliferation of Universities, and attempts by the National Assembly to hoodwink Vice chancellors by inviting VCs to appear before them to defend the intervention funds allocated to them, an action, they said, is contrary to the provisions of the TETFund Act And the University Miscellaneous Act.