The (ASUU) has threatened to embark on a fresh strike if the Federal Government failed to attend to the issues in the Memorandum of Action (MOA) of December 23, 2020, and issues relating to the draft renegotiated agreement of May 2021 by the ending of this August.
The Union charged Nigerians to hold the government responsible if it decides to embark on strike.
The National President of ASUU, Victor Emmanuel Osedeke, revealed this on Monday at a press conference in Ilorin, at the end of the National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Ilorin.
Osedeke urged Nigerians to pressure the government into signing the agreement in the bid to forestall the planned strike.
“ASUU hopes authorities at both the Federal and state government levels would give these matters the urgent attention they deserve to sustain and improve on the current industrial peace on our university campuses.”
“As of now, several issues which border on the welfare and working environment of our members hang precariously on the path of the smooth working relationship between ASUU and governments (Federal and State) in Nigeria.
Most topical among these are the outstanding issues in the Memorandum of Action (MOA) of 23rd December 2020 and the issues related to the Draft Renegotiated Agreement of May 2021.”
Comrade Osodeke condemned the plight of state-owned universities saying, “The union is particularly petrified by the declining fortunes and their utter neglect by state governors whose responsibility it is to fund, staff, equip and make the universities nationally and globally competitive,” he said.
He noted that if necessary steps are not taken, the state-owned universities may be damaged unless the concerned bodies raise to prevent the calamity.
Osedeke called on state governments to make adequate budgetary provisions for both capital and recurrent expenditure for infrastructure, staff development and payment of staff emoluments starting with 2022 budgets.
He asked for the provision of functional pension schemes in line with the 2014 Pension Act, and payment of all salaries and allowances (Including EAA) owed staff with a concrete plan for regular payments subsequently.
The ASUU President further requested the domestication of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provision) (Amendment) Act of 2012 in all universities where that has not been done.
He asked the owners of state universities to pay all arrears of third-party deductions such as check-off dues, cooperative contributions and bank loans and pension deductions.
He cautioned against forms of threats and victimisation of ASUU members who legitimately speak out on behalf of the union on the need to address the nagging issues.
On the state of the nation, the union lamented the worsening insecurity situation particularly as it affects the country’s educational institutions.
“Indeed, the mystery surrounding the sudden disappearance of Professor R.B.Adeniyi, of the Department of Mathematics, University of Ilorin, like some others before him on our campuses, had remained unresolved for several months,” he noted.
Comrade Osedeke charged Nigerian rulers to look inward, tackle corruption headlong, use intelligence to fight insecurity and gird their loins for home-grown solutions to Nigeria’s problems before other countries and the global community could take us seriously.