‘Avert looming strike,’ ASUU pleads as LAUTECH branch holds rally
Adebayo ADELEKE
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on another round of strike over various issues, including the arbitrary dissolution of governing councils in universities, the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement between the union and the federal government, promotion arrears and the poor funding public universities.
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This warning was reiterated during a peaceful rally held by the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) branch of ASUU Wednesday.
The varsity teachers carried placards bearing various inscriptions during the rally such as: true democracy imbibes the spirit of collective bargaining and jettisons imposition, save public universities from extinction fund them properly, lecturers are intellectuals and not slaves, FG: Lead by example, honour your own agreement etc
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In a press statement titled, “Government, safe university education from another looming crisis: Respect collective bargaining and agreement,” and signed by Professor Babatunde Lawal and Professor Toyin Abegunrin, chairperson and secretary respectively, ASUU reehoed the grievances including “non-completion of renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement; inadequate funding of Public Universities; non-release of arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA); the albatross of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS); proliferation of Universities, arbitrary dissolution of Governing Councils of the Public Universities and, dictatorship in some Nigerian Universities were raised with the government.”
Recalling the 8-month industrial action of 2022 by the union which paralyzed university education, it warned the union does not want a repeat of the action hence this “attempt to make both Federal and state government to live up to their responsibilities on university education.”
It blamed government for instigating another round of strike by its intransigence submitting that if it had fulfilled the agreement reached in 2009 with ASUU, which stipulated a review every three years, most of these issues would have been overcome.
It gave an insight into the problem with lamentation that a “university professor n Nigeria is taking $3,000 as his/her in 2009 but currently, it is $300 with the prevailing exchange rate,” stressing, “The value of this paltry amount has also been eroded by the vagaries of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), coupled with the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy, floating of Naira, the increase in the tax regime, increase in electricity tariff, among other indices of hardship in present-day Nigeria.”
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The body thus called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately implement the agreement while urging well-meaning Nigerians to implore the government to hearken to the voice of reasoning before another industrial action is unleashed.
“In order to avert another looming crisis in Nigeria University system, our Union is calling on well-meaning Nigerians, opinion leaders, traditional and religious leaders, media, labour movements, students’ groups, artisans and civil society organisations to prevail on federal and state governments to the legitimate demands of our union and allow peace to reign.”
Last May 15, ASUU issued a three-week ultimatum to the federal government to address its demands, warning that a strike would follow if the government fails to act.
Below is the address in full:
ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES
LAUTECH BRANCH
GOVERNMENT, SAFE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION FROM ANOTHER LOOMING CRISIS: RESPECT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING & AGREEMENT
Introduction
Compatriots and Members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm,
Recall that our union was on a major industrial action that lasted between February and October, 2022 in an attempt to make both Federal and state government to live up to their responsibilities on university education. During the cause of that struggle, issues on: non-completion of renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement; inadequate funding of Public Universities; non-release of arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA); the albatross of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS); proliferation of Universities, arbitrary dissolution of Governing Councils of the Public Universities and, dictatorship in some Nigerian Universities were raised with the government. A review of these fundamental causes of the strike action is presented below
Non-completion of the Renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement
In 2009, the Federal Government and ASUU signed a “negotiated agreement”; a product of collective bargaining. This FGN/ASUU Agreement 2009, contained a road-map for addressing the crisis in public Universities in Nigeria, where all the issues raised above are well taken care of. The agreement provided inter alia, a template for adequate funding public universities, the conditions of service for academics in Nigerian public universities, such as increase in the salaries of academics and Earned Academic Allowances as well as the mechanism for the renegotiation of the Agreement itself, which stipulated that the Agreement was to be reviewed after three years, the first of which was supposed to be in 2012. This periodic renegotiation has not been accomplished up till date, implying that the Nigeria academics in public universities are still collecting the salaries of 2009 even under the current economic situations. It will be amazing to say that a professor in Nigeria is taking $3,000 as his/her in 2009 but currently, it is $300 with the prevailing exchange rate. The value of this paltry amount has also been eroded by the vagaries of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), coupled with the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy, floating of Naira, the increase in the tax regime, increase in electricity tariff, among other indices of hardship in present-day Nigeria. Quite pathetic!
Instead of the government to respect the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, it has taken to the lines of frustration, blackmail and the use of hunger as a weapon to weaken our struggles. For clarity’s sake, the government has set up various committee to negotiate with ASUU since 2017 For records, the Wale Babalakin-led Joint Renegotiation Committee was set up, followed by Emeritus Professor Munzali Jubril-led Committee, and later followed by Late Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs-led Committee, which culminated into a draft Agreement between the Committee and ASUU in 2021. Unfortunately, the Buhari administration refused to sign the Agreement reached by a committee set up by it. Instead, it resorted to 25% and 35%, wage award, which again was never implemented till the end of Buhari’s tenure on 29 May, 2023. Worse still, instead of signing and implementing the FGN/ASUU agreement emanating from the Late Nimi Brigg’s Committee, the Tinubu-led administration resorted to re-proclamation and re-enactment of the 25% and 35% wage award of Buhari’s administration, which in actual sense runs counter to the time-honoured principle of collective bargaining, globally in practice.
Our union call on the president to urgently set in motion, the process of signing and implementing the Late Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated agreement.
Inadequate Funding of Public Universities
For several years, our Union has called out the government of Nigeria for non-performance, lackadaisical attitude, and an insensitive posture on matters pertaining to adequate funding of education. Instead of improving, the Federal Government recently further decided to reduce the resources available for educational sector by diverting the funds to programmes with no direct benefits to Nigerian public universities.
Our union hereby enjoins the Federal Government to adhere strictly to TETFund establishment Acts and ensure proper funding of public universities
Non-Release of Arrears of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA)
FGN/ASUU Agreement of 2009 explicitly provides that Government shall fund EAA. This explains why the FGN mandated the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) of the 2009 Agreement to determine the cost implication of the allowances and to supervise the implementation of ALL the agreements entered into with all the university-based staff unions. The IMC came up with a total cost of N92bn, which was meant to pay the arrears of earned allowances for all the staff unions – ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT – in all federal universities, for three and a half years. Again, gentlemen of the Press, the December 2020 FGN/ASUU MoA reaffirmed the mainstreaming of EAA into our members’ monthly salaries while the next tranche of the allowances was to be paid in 2021. This MoA was never honoured by the government.
We hereby employ the government to address the issue of EAA in order not to force the union to unpleasant decision.
The Albatross of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)
By all standards, IPPIS is a violation of the university autonomy as well as the Acts establishing the Universities. Added to this illegality is its notoriety as a fraudulent platform that is inflicting unprecedented hardship on Nigerian academics and corruptly distorting university operations with respect to the payroll management. It is on these grounds that ASUU is consistently rejecting IPPIS. We are, however, worried that the grip of IPPIS on the universities is far from being eased more than four months after the government directed the exit of federal universities and other tertiary institutions from the discredited payment platform. As at today, the salaries of our members are still whimsically withheld just as third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, pension deductions and union check-off dues) are not released. The platform, with all its encumbrances, is still being used to pay our members under the disguise of “New IPPIS” contrary to the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC’s) directive.
Government should revert to quarterly releases of university subventions to enable the institutions design and implement their salary payment plans under the supervision of their Governing Councils
Arbitrary Dissolution of Governing Council in Public Universities
While ASUU is not holding brief for any individual or group of individuals, our opposition is to the illegal dissolution of Governing Councils in federal government tertiary institutions that have not completed their tenures and whom no forms of malfeasance was reported. The saying is apposite ‘injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere’. The least that is expected from a government which professes democratic ethos is reinstating the dissolved Councils to complete their tenures.
We call on the government to revisit the issue of Governing Council of universities and do the needful.
Outstanding Promotion Arrears
Nigeria Public Universities are beset with unpaid accumulated promotion arrears. for example, promotion arrears are owed in LAUTECH since 2011 till date. It is painful to note that having to carry our researches most often at personal costs and earning promotions belatedly, the ensuing arrears which should follow are never received. In some instances, it is nominal promotion without financial backing.
Conclusion
In order to avert another looming crisis in Nigeria University system, our Union is calling on well-meaning Nigerians, opinion leaders, traditional and religious leaders, media, labour movements, students’ groups, artisans and civil society organisations to prevail on federal and state governments to the legitimate demands of our union and allow peace to reign.
Struggle continues, victory is certain!
Thank you.
Babatunde Lawal, PhD
Chairperson
‘Toyin Abegunrin, PhD
Secretary
(For and on behalf of Academic Staff Union of Universities, LAUTECH branch)
