Strike: ASUU Accuses FG Review Committee of Procrastination and Endless Meetings

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns regarding the Federal Government’s sub-committee tasked with reviewing the union’s demands, alleging that the committee is uninterested in resolving the impending industrial action. Happiness Uduk, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU's Calabar Zone, expressed her frustrations during a press conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on September 30, 2024.

ASUU has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address several unresolved issues. If these issues remain unaddressed, the union plans to initiate another strike. Among the key demands are the completion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which is based on the Draft Agreement by the Nimi Briggs Committee from 2021. Uduk emphasized that the agreement is outdated, particularly in light of the current Dollar/Naira exchange rate. The lecturers are also demanding the release of withheld salaries spanning three and a half months due to the 2022 industrial action.

Additionally, ASUU is seeking the payment of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct positions affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The union is also pushing for the release of outstanding third-party deductions, including check-off dues and cooperative contributions, which were included in the 2023 Federal Budget.

In response to ASUU's impending strike, the Federal Government established a sub-committee to review the union’s demands. However, Uduk criticized the committee, accusing its members of convening meetings merely to collect allowances without making any progress. She stated, “There have been meetings upon meetings without anything coming forth; all they have been doing is just calling those meetings so that they can get allowances.”

Uduk reported that the committee has convened more than five times, each time presenting excuses for inaction, such as missing documents or a lack of cash backing for proposed budgets. She described this as a tactic of delay and asserted that no substantial changes have occurred aside from more meetings.

The ASUU leader lamented the government’s failure to implement several Memoranda of Understanding and Action between 2013 and 2022, which has significantly hindered industrial harmony in public universities. She highlighted that negotiations have dragged on for over seven years, involving multiple teams, including those led by Babalakin and Jubrin Munzali, as well as the Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs’ Committee.

Uduk criticized the current administration for frustrating efforts to adopt and implement the renegotiated agreement, arguing that the prevailing economic conditions render wage awards and palliative measures inadequate. She underscored that the government has ignored a presidential directive and court order to address the issues surrounding the exit of universities from the problematic IPPIS system.

The ASUU chairperson warned that the union would withdraw services, stressing that the government’s insensitivity and delay tactics should not be blamed for the impending breakdown of industrial harmony. “Our union will not fold its arms and allow the government to play games with the welfare of its already battered members in both federal and state-owned universities,” Uduk asserted.