The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on another strike over the deliberate refusal of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, to pay the salaries and remittance of check-off dues of over 1,000 staff for 13 months.
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ASUU Knocks El-Rufai – Stop Displaying Ignorance, Arrogance
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has expressed dissatisfaction with the directive by the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, that lecturers of the state university, who join the ongoing workers’ strike in the state should be dismissed.
The Chairman of ASUU, University of Port Harcourt branch, Dr Austen Sado, described the governor’s recent actions in connection with the ongoing workers’ strike in Kaduna as a display of ignorance and arrogance.
Sado, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, expressed surprise that the governor could declare the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, wanted for alleged economic sabotage.
He said, “El-Rufai was presented to Nigerians as the purest of the technocrats in Nigeria right from the time of General Olusegun Obasanjo. I think based on that, he feels that he knows more than everybody. It is a big shame that somebody like El-Rufai would claim that he is sacking people.
“He is even saying that lecturers should sign a register and bring it to the Commissioner for Education or the Commissioner for Finance on a daily basis. You can imagine that level of ignorance by a governor, who ought to know the application of the law.
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“He has just shown how ignorant he is and Nigerians should understand that these people, who claim to be the elite in this society, know little or nothing. Can you imagine the level of arrogance that El-Rufai has exhibited in the way he has managed the affairs of the state?
“His level of arrogance is beyond understanding. Labour is asking for engagement and he is not engaging labour. You heard him say he has given an order for Ayuba Wabba’s arrest.
“If El-Rufai stands a popularity contest with Wabba in Nigeria, does he stand a chance close to Ayuba Wabba? Does he know what it means to be the president of a labour centre?
“Nigerians should begin to see that these people are gambling with the management of this nation. They are all gamblers and we should treat them as gamblers, because they do not understand the implications of their actions.”
On the threat to sack lecturers of the Kaduna State University, the UNIPORT ASUU chairman pointed out that it was wrong for governors to interfere in matters concerning university staff discipline.
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According to him, the university is being administered by the Governing Council and the government cannot have direct interference in its day-to-day administration.
“If for any reason, there is a staff member who misbehaves in the university, it is the responsibility of the governing council to discipline the person and not the governor,” Sado stressed.
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LATEST NEWS: ASUU Set To Join NLC Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University Chapter, has directed its members to join the ongoing warning strike by public sector workers in Kaduna State.
The ASUU Chairperson, Dr Peter Adamu, gave the directive in a circular to members of the union, issued in Kaduna on Monday.
Adamu said: “I am directed by the National Secretariat of our great union through the Zonal office Kano, for members to join the warning strike.
“Members should remember that ASUU is an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the principal officers of ASUU were part of the NLC National Executive Council that took the decision on the strike action.
See How Much ASUU Is Expected To Receive To Call Off Strike
“Also, members that violate the strike action must note that the union will not be there for them when the wrath of the governor falls on them.
“We must unite for a just cause because injury to one is injury to all.”
According to report, the NLC National President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said at the five-day strike action that it would run its full course unless the state government attended to the workers grievances.
Some of the grievances included the recent sack of 7,000 local government workers and refusal of the state government to settle the entitlements of about 50, 000 it disengaged from service from 2017 to date.
ASUU Strike: Union Denies Suspending Nine-Month-Old Strike
Government activities in the state were completely paralised on the first day of the strike on Monday, with banks, schools, hospitals, water, electricity, rail and air services shut.
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Appointment Of Acting VC, Unlawful Invasion – AAU ASUU Says
Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has described the series of recent developments in the state-owned University, the unprecedented amendment of the University Laws–Special Intervention Powers Provisions Law 2021 and the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor for the University by the State Government as an unlawful invasion.
The union said that this is unacceptable in the face of unresolved debilitating industrial crisis occasioned by the strike action of all staff unions (ASUU, SSANU, NAAT and NASU) in the University over unpaid wages/earnings, check-off dues and other sundry deductions.
The University’s Chapter of ASUU in a statement signed by Dr Monday Igbafen and Dr Anthony Coker-Aizebioje, Chairperson and Secretary of the union said it was unconvinced by the reason given by the State Government for the unconventional and hasty amendment of the University Law, an amendment which, the Union alleged conferred on the Governor extra-ordinary powers to “invade” the University with total disregard for the devastating consequences on University autonomy, long-tested traditions, ethos and organs of the University.
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The Union viewed the reason given by the Governor and Visitor to the University in the controversial amendment saga as a smokescreen to take over the University for the purpose of eroding the autonomy of the University and installing Sole Administratorship with the Acting Vice-Chancellor as camouflage.
The Union also faulted the fashion in which the University Governing Council was dissolved.
“The Council as a tenured organ of the University cannot be dissolved by fiat without legal consequences for the University and the State.” the Union said.
The University Chapter of ASUU expressed concern that the Visitor exploited the newly amended section of the University Law, to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor (from outside the University against the tradition of the University) for the University.
The Union enumerated the negative implications of the recent actions of the Governor for the viability of the University to include (i) Erosion of University autonomy (as enshrined in the University Miscellaneous Act 2003 as amended) and violation of the structures laid down by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in the administration of Universities in Nigeria; (ii) Gravitation towards the commercialization of university education; (iii) Tendency towards Sole Administrationship of the University which has long been outlawed in Nigerian Universities; and (iv) Escalation of the crisis in the University.
The Union called on the Governor and Visitor to the University to, in the interest of the future of the University, reconsider the obnoxious amendment.
While identifying the major problems facing the university, both in its past and present existence, to include the direct state politicization, neglect and gross underfunding by the successive governments of the State, ASUU claimed that “the University has been denied all forms of concrete recurrent and capital budgetary provisions.”
Recalling its long time efforts, including letters, memos and meetings to draw the attention of the State Government to this recurring problem, the Union insisted that the abysmal failure of the State Government to resolve the knotty problem of inadequate funding was the core cause of the ongoing strike action by all the staff unions (ASUU, SSANU, NAAT and NASU) in the University.
“For the avoidance of doubt, workers/retirees in the University are suffering due to non-payment of salaries for five (5) months and unpaid check-off dues, pensions, gratuities and other sundry deductions from staff salaries for over one year.”, ASUU said.
The Union reaffirmed that the immediate cause of the current crisis in the university was a product of severe underfunding and neglect by the Edo State Government as well as State Government’s persistent inaction on the problems of mismanagement and maladministration in the University in recent past, citing the inaction of the Visitor to the University on the Due-Diligence Report which revealed a lot of financial and administrative mismanagement and mind-boggling financial improprieties and the Report of the Special Visitation Panel.
Consequent on the above, ASUU AAU, Ekpoma insisted that the Governor and Visitor to the University must as a matter of urgency address the problems of workers/pensioners in the University with particular reference to payment of outstanding salaries (5 months), check-off dues and sundry deductions for over one year.
“The Governor should reconstitute the Governing Council for the University without delay for a proper management of the University, in line with global best practices of University governance.
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“The Government should release and make public the Report of the Special Visitation Panel for clear repositioning of the University with the recent amendments in the University Law be abrogated because they are unnecessary.
“The Governor as the Visitor to the University should use the extant laws of the University for the good governance and repositioning of the University and refrain from invasion of the University, under any guise.
“And for the purposes of transparency and accountability, the Governor should also promptly release the White Paper on the Visitation Panel Report to the public”
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ASUU Strike: FG Reveals Position On Fresh Industrial Action
The Nigerian Government has said the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has no justifiable ground for another strike.
But ASUU accused the government of evolving tactics to divide its ranks instead of addressing its grievances.
The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; and ASUU Chairman (Bauchi Zone), Prof. Lawan Abubakar, said these in separate interviews with our correspondent.
Nwajiuba, who spoke on the timing of the fresh strike barely four months after calling off its 10-month action on December 23 2020, said ASUU was free to canvass its position from time to time concerning work related issues.
ASUU Strike: Union Denies Suspending Nine-Month-Old Strike
He, however, added that the Federal Government had not reneged on any agreement.
He said, “There is no agreement that government has reneged on, everything we are doing is within the resources and ambit of government.
“There is no time that ASUU will be on strike that will be justified. Countries don’t go on strike because of the benefit of a few because one strike could cause destruction in the lives of others.
“When people ask for their rights, it is up to the Federal Government to continue to engage them. We are going to continue to engage them. We don’t expect anybody to always pronounce strike to more or less frustrate other people. The people you are hurting are your fellow citizens.
ASUU: We Did Not Reach Agreement With FG Over Strike
“In as much as the government would continue to respond to other people, I don’t think that the way to demand for anything is by placing burden on the rest of the citizens and the students who may not be in a position to reason along with you or can’t do anything.”
But Abubakar blamed the government and the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for trying to frustrate the lecturers in order to implement the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System.
He said, “There are pending issues and principally, the long and short of it is that the office of the AGF is frustrating all agreement that have been reached with the government. The office does not let go the issue of IPPIS in the universities because of the imminent gains they are recording individually and collectively there.
“The sincerity is not there. We have raised issues with people concerned and it depends on the way they handle the matter. But it (next strike) is going to be very bad, honestly with our students fully on ground in all the campuses.
ASUU Strike: Union Denies Suspending Nine-Month-Old Strike
“These are just few people sabotaging it (agreement) and trying to throw these students out of the campuses again.
“Our issue with government is not only the IPPIS, but that is the main thing; they don’t want to let go. Because of that, they are evolving tactics to divide our ranks because there are people that have stayed for more than one year without salary and there are people that are getting salary.”
LATEST: ASUU Threatens to Resume Strike If…
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday warned it may resume its suspended strike over victimization of members and non-payment of salaries.
It accused the Federal Government of victimising its members and tactically avoiding payment of their salaries for up to 10 months.
In a statement by the chairman, University of Ibadan branch of ASUU, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, the union said despite suspending strike on December 24, 2020 on the condition that its members would not be victimised for their role in the last strike, many lecturers were still being owed salaries of between two and 10 months.
I Will Not Give ASUU Chance To Go on Strike Again – Ngige Vows
ASUU stated that while members are back to their duty posts to work, the harsh economy due to unpaid salaries and non-refund of deducted check-off dues will affect productivity.
Akinwile said the government has refused to remit deductions it made to the account of the union suggesting it is a plan to stifle ASUU.
The union leader warned that members could be forced to withdraw their services again if pushed to the limit.
According to Akinwole, while government is paying outstanding five months salaries for those on nominal role at an agonisingly slow pace, over 100 UI academic staff are being owed salaries ranging between two and ten months.
He said: “While ASUU as a union, and her members as individuals in various branches have remained faithful to this agreement by returning to classes and performing their respective duties, the Federal Government, true to type, has reneged on its part.
ASUU Strike: Only University Lecturers On IPPIS Would Get Salaries – Buhar
“Contrary to FGN affirmation of its commitment to pay all withheld salaries of ASUU members who have not enrolled in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information system (IPPIS),three months after the suspension of Strike, thousands of ASUU members across various branch are still being owed salaries.”
He added: “Instead of deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) software developed by ASUU, which has been adjudged effective for payment of salaries, some of our members are still being denied their salaries and others are being coerced by agents of government to register on the repressive IPPIS for payment of salaries.
“The Union ASUU and her members are made to suffer from all the aforementioned attacks by the federal government while the public expects our members, some of who now live on the charity of family members and colleagues for survival to use their personal resources to discharge their duties diligently in the universities.
ASUU Strike: Union Denies Suspending Nine-Month-Old Strike
“These harsh conditions would have terrible consequences on public tertiary education in Nigeria and when push eventually comes to shove, as it definitely will in no distant future, the Nigerian public should accordingly blame the Federal Government for its insincerity.
“Blame the federal government of Nigeria if the universities are shut down again.”
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ASUU Offers Scholarship To 30 Most-Deserving UNIZIK Students
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has presented a cheque of N1.5 million to thirty most deserving students in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, Awka, Anambra State.
Newsmen gathered that the thirty students will receive the sum of fifty thousand naira (N50,000) each.
Presenting the scholarship cheque to the beneficiary, at the UNIZIK Auditorium, on Wednesday, UNIZIK branch Chairman, Comrade Stephen Ufoaroh, said the gesture was to support the deserving students to complete their academic pursuit, despite the fact that all academic staff of the school are owed salaries between four and twelve months.
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“ASUU-Unizik still saw the need to help in alleviating the suffering of our students, who have also borne the pains of the ruling class insensitivity to the suffering masses of this country.
“We members of this school tasked ourselves to raise the fund for this scholarship being awarded today, the 24 February 2021. This sacrifice is part of our social responsibility to our students and their parents.
Ufoaroah noted that the award programme by God’s grace will be an annual event.
He disclosed that ASUU National is also awarding a scholarship of one hundred thousand naira (100,000), to the most deserving student in all Public Universities in Nigeria, of which a student of UNIZIK is a beneficiary.
“This scholarship award is another evidence that ASUU as a union understands the plight of our students and as such we will go any length to protect their interest, which has made us resist every attempt by the Federal Government of Nigeria to introduce tuition fees in public universities, because we know that many of our students are merely striving to succeed and can hardly pay the current service charges, being paid in Federal and State Universities, Ufoaroah explained.
VC UNIZIK And University Council Pays Courtesy Call To Innoson (Photos)
He urged the students to see ASUU as partners in the struggle to save the soul of the public universities, by working together to compel government at all levels to adequately fund education, so as to give every youth opportunity to access quality education.
He described the event as a history-making event in the university.
He said the award is for students of the 2019/2020 academic session.
In his brief remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Professor Charles Esimone commended the union for the kind gesture, noting that the history-making event is coming at the time when the country is currently facing all-round challenges.
Esimone, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Joseph Ikechebelu, assure the Union that the University Management will continue to work in a cordial relationship for the sake of less privileged students.
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One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Ebuka Emmanuel Ogbonna, from the department of Sociology (Faculty of Social Sciences), who spoke to Tribune Online on behalf of others, thanks ASUU for recognizing him, especially at this time when he has no sponsor due to the death of his mother and financial incapability of his father.
He prayed to God to continue to bless ASUU.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
ASUU Strike: FG, Varsity Workers Resume Meeting Thursday
The Federal Government will on Thursday resume its meeting with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions in Abuja.
The parley was in continuation of the dialogue called to resolve the dispute between the two unions and the Academic Staff Union of Universities over the sharing formula for the N40 billion earned allowances approved by the government and other demands.
A notice of the meeting signed by the Deputy Director (Press), Mr Charles Akpan, said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, will host the conciliation meeting between the representatives of the federal government and the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU.
Read Also: See Conditions ASUU Gave FG For Lecturers To Return To Classroom
The leadership of the two non-teaching unions had alleged that the Federal Ministry of Education and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were favouring ASUU members in the disbursement of the fund.
Apart from this, the SSANU and NASU also listed other grievances including inconsistencies in the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, non-payment of arrears of national minimum wage, delay in renegotiation of FG/NASU and SSANU 2009 agreement and non- payment of retirement benefits of outgone members.
Other issues in contention are the usurpation of headship of non-teaching units by the teaching staff in clear violation of condition of service and establishment procedures, neglect and poor funding of state universities and non-constitution of visitation panels for universities.
At their last meeting penultimate Tuesday, the FG and the unions set up a committee to resolve the dispute over the N40b earned allowances and the IPPIS.
Read Also: See How Much ASUU Is Expected To Receive To Call Off Strike
Ngige had described the meeting as fruitful and expressed the hope that the dialogue would encourage the unions to suspend their strike.
But the unions said the strike would continue until the issues were resolved.
ASUU: Buhari Waves No Work, No Pay Rule As He Releases N40 Billion To Varsity
President Muhammadu Buhari waived the ‘no work, no pay’ Trade Act for striking university lecturers to allow peace to reign, Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige, said at the weekend.
The government has released N40billion for the payment of earned academic allowances for varsity lecturers and earned allowances for non-academic staff.
Also, the government may release N30 billion revitalisation funds to varsities by the end of this month.
Of the N40 billion, about N10 billion was voted for the payment of earned allowances of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and technologists.
News Update: FG Agrees To Pay ASUU Salaries Without IPPIS
Although the non-academic staff have threatened strike over the sharing formula by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the government said when a similar payment was made in 2019, they got N8 billion.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who gave the update in an exclusive chat with our correspondent, said the Federal Government has so far kept faith with the agreement between it and ASUU.
He said: “We are keeping faith religiously with the implementation of the agreement. In fact, President Muhammadu Buhari has given ASUU members a waiver/ pardon on the no, work, no pay clause in the nation’s Trade Disputes Act.
“I had to write officially for the presidential waiver on payment of outstanding wages of varsity lecturers to strengthen our pact and more so we are in a COVID-19 pandemic era.
“So, for harmony and understanding, we decided on compassionate ground not to invoke Section 43 of the nation’s Trade Disputes Act.”
ASUU Attacks Buhari Govt Over Abysmal Failure In Education
Section 43 of the Act is in respect to “Special provision with respect to payment of wages during strikes and lock-outs.”
It says: “(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law-
(a) where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wages or other remuneration for the period of the strike, and any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly; and
(b) where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remuneration for the period of lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers being rights dependent on the continuity of period of employment.
“(2) If any question should arise as to whether there has been a lock-out for the purposes of this section, the question shall on application to the Minister by the workers or their representatives be determined by the Minister whose decision shall be final.”
ASUU: We Are Not Ready To Go Back To Classroom
Ngige said the Federal Government has started paying the outstanding salaries of the lecturers in a “staggered system” because every 31st December of each year, all outstanding recurrent budget (including personnel salaries) is mopped up into the Treasury.
“We paid ASUU members from January to June 2020. The salary arrears outstanding were from July to December and because of mop up into the Treasury, we decided to stagger the payment.
“So far, we have paid July and August salary arrears in December, we will pay September and October with their January salaries as one tranche in January; and November/ December in February alongside their monthly salaries since they have resumed in their offices and research centres.”
The Minister also confirmed that about “N40billion has been paid as earned allowances to academic and non-academic staff in the universities.
“The non-academic staff said they disagreed with the way the National Universities Commission (NUC) shared and transmitted the earned allowances by giving 75% to academic staff (lecturers) and 25% to them.
JUST IN: NASU, SSANU join ASUU, Commence 14-Day Warning Strike
“The NUC came up with that sharing formula based on the past threshold. This administration has even improved the benchmark for the non-academic staff because the last time we had a similar challenge, it was based on 80% for academic staff and 20% for non-academic staff.
“In 2019, the non-academic staff got N8billion as earned allowances but this time around, the government released N10billion for their allowances.”
Notwithstanding, the Minister said: “I will invite the leaders of SSANU, NASU and technologists for dialogue to arrest their strike.
“I believe if we sit down with them for consultations, they will appreciate our position. We cannot afford to shut down our universities again.
UPDATE: ASUU YET TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH NIGERIAN GOVT ON ENDING STRIKE
“Their letter or notice of strike has not reached my table but we will engage them in dialogue on all their demands. Fortunately, I am one of the parents affected by strike action in universities. All my children are studying in different universities in the country.”
Regarding the N30billion revitalisation funds demanded by ASUU, Ngige said: “by the end of January, the government will pay.”
In a related story, Nigerian Universities workers have begun an indefinite strike due to…. Read More Here
ASUU Attacks Buhari Govt Over Abysmal Failure In Education
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Calabar, UNICAL, branch, has accused the federal government of abysmal failure in ensuring a conducive environment for those in the academic sector.
Dr Edor J. Edor, the ASUU Chairman of UniCal said the statement of the Nigerian government regarding schools resuming on January 18, 2021, was an indication of government’s failure.
Recall that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu had said government was reviewing the January 18 resumption date.
FG Set To Postpone Jan 18 Schools Resumption Date
Adamu had said the resumption date was under review due to the spike in the figures of COVID-19 cases across the country.
However, Edor in a chat with newsmen said: “Having regards to the absymal and shameful failure of the federal government to put in place infrastructure of public universities in other to make them conducive for learning and teaching, the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 on Monday said resumption is under review.
“This is a clear admission of federal government’s failure to do the needful in public universities.
“If we have condusive lecture theatres, conducive hostels, conducive offices and infrastructure, if they have possible water, have ordinary taps as one of the COVID-19 protocols is saying that wash your hand frequently with soap under running water before sanitising then why will the federal government be shifting resumption of schools.
ASUU: Nigerian Universities May Not Resume January 18
“They know that those things are not in place, so it will be unsafe for students, academic and non academic staff to return back to school in the face of the spike of the new and resilient variance of the COVID-29 virus.
“This should send a signal to members of the forth estate of the realm, to parents, to Nigerians that what ASUU has been drumming by asking federal government to inject finances into the revitalization of universities, COVID-19 has come to lay it bear.
“We are now confronted face-to-face with the fact of the depth of poverty and pluacity of infrastructure in public universities.
Imo State Government Declares Environment Still Unsafe To Reopen Schools
“Of course, ASUU has suspended strike so right now we have picked up our tool which we downed on March 23, 2020 and we are ready to work but federal government is saying we should hold on, we can’t go back to work because it’s risky.”