The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ÀSUU) has resolved to proceed on strike after 14 days ultimatum with effect from Sept. 30.
ASUU said the 14 days is a fresh ultimatum after the expiration of the 21 days given since Aug. 20 to the Federal Government to resolve all the issues in contention since the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.
The ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Calabar zone, Comrade Happiness Uduk, said this in a press conference in Uyo on Monday.
Uduk said after several meetings with government officials, the federal government was yet to resolve any of the lingering crisis in the university system.
“The 10 issues in contention including: conclusion of the re-negotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on the Draft Agreement by the Nimi Briggs Committee in 2021, which is already out of date given the reality of the current Dollar/Naira ratio
“The release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time and adjunct which were affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System otherwise called the IPPIS;
“The release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and Co-operative contributions by members, which were captured in the 2023 Federal budget.
“Funding for the revitalisation of public universities partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government budget and payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) also partly captured in the 2023 Federal budget, among others.
“It is obvious this government is not interested in resolving lingering issues with our Union, that is why like previous governments, its engagements with us are characterised by bottlenecks of bureaucracy, time-buying, documentation denial and lack of budgetary provisions,” Uduk said.
The universities’ union also called on the federal government to stop proliferation of universities across the country, stressing that it was not in the best interest of the education sector.
She rather advocated adequate funding of the existing public universities to improve on the quality of teaching and learning.
She added that proliferation of universities is to put more stress on the fund existing for the universities.
ASUU called on the federal government to abolish IPPIS payment system and in its place adopt the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as replacement.
She said that UTAS had passed through integrity test by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) several times, as against IPPIS preferred by the federal government.
