The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has again expressed great disappointment in Federal Government for “not showing genuine interest” in addressing the long-time issues that are causing crisis between them.
The union said it was cleared based on the poor approach put up by the federal government so far particularly in the last two months that it’s not ready to do the needful to avert the looming industrial disharmony that may erupt anytime now in the nation’s public universities.
The Lagos Zone coordinator of ASUU, Prof Adelaja Odukoya, who is also the dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, shared this thought and perspective in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune.
He was asked for an update concerning the ASUU’s struggle, especially now that their last 14-days ultimatum given to the federal government to meet their demands ended last Sunday.
According to him, the government has not shown any seriousness or readiness to address any of the issues put before it all these years.
“So, there is nothing new as we speak concerning our issues with the government,” he declared.
Odukoya pointed out that all what the government had been able to do so far was to request information that is already in its possession and also in the public domains just to buy time.
And even at that, he noted, we still provide those pieces of information without anything tangible came out of the efforts.
According to him, the last two ultimatums issued by ASUU to the federal government were parts of the due process we need to follow as a responsible and democratic union so that ASUU won’t be blamed if the crisis eventually leads to industrial disharmony.
He explained that what now left for ASUU is to go back to the drawing board and review the state and stage of things concerning the union’s demands and the federal government’s reaction so far.
“So, since the leaders cannot just take decision on their own, we will go back to our unions at various levels starting with the branches, and move to the zones and then to the national to review the situation hostically and then take next action,” he stressed.
Odukoya lamented that the various successive governments had not shown genuine concerns about the masses, about the plights of Nigeria-child and about public education at all levels.
He described them as the same but different only by names.
However, he pointed out, that Tinubu’s government is most disappointing, because, according to him, the president declared not long after his assumption of office to the whole world that his administration would attend to the public university needs and ensure no strike takes place under his watch.
“Though, no record of strike yet, the way things are going show clearly that the president didn’t really mean what he said.
“But it is very important and not too late that the government should do the needful which are clearly spelt out in our demands.
“It is not that ASUU is interested in going on strike but if pushes to the wall, so be it.
“Lecturers deserve to live a good life and working in a good environment.
ASUU’s demands include the completion of their renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement with the Federal Government based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; the release of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries due to the 2022 industrial action; the release of unpaid salaries for staff affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) on sabbatical, part-time and adjunct appointments and promotion arrears since 2018; the release of outstanding third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions and check-off dues; funding for the revitalisation of public universities, partially captured by the Federal Government Budget of 2023; the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), partially captured by the Federal Government Budget of 2023; the proliferation of universities by Federal and State Governments; implementation of visitation panel reports and the head option of the University Transparency and Accountability, among others credit – Nigerian Tribune
