THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has not accorded proper attention to issues forcing the union to embark on industrial action.
Speaking during a peaceful protest held by the Obafemi Awolowo University branch of the Union, the branch Chairman, Professor Anthony Odiwe stressed that unless urgent attention is given to the draft agreement between the union and the federal government in 2021, it would call for fresh industrial action across campuses in the country.
He added that the Federal Government is yet to address many of the issues that usually forced the union to embark on strike, saying the union was surprised with the attitude of the present administration on the issues.
“It is extremely important to state that all the issues that had always forced our members to embark on strike are still unattended up till now.
“Please permit me to mention those issues- Release of the unpaid salaries of staff on sabbatical, adjunct, etc. due to IPPIS, payment of promotion arrears, payment of EAA, proliferation of public universities, implementation of the Reports of the Visitation Panels, illegal dissolution of Governing Councils of Federal and State Universities, implementation of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) in place of IPPIS and release of third-party deductions.”However, the Union also held that in the last one year it has not officially met with President Tinubu since taking the wheel of power as the country’s president. He stated that, “the Union was very open and hopeful at the beginning that government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that would be favourably disposed in addressing the issues, especially with the posture and utterances of Mr. President that strike will be thing of the past in our system.
“Unfortunately, the same government has refused to relate with us officially in the last one year in power. In view of this, the Union has decided to take this matter to the public space once again so that Nigerians will be properly informed and will not blame us but the government because of their insensitivity and non-responsiveness to the issues of university education in the country.” Members of the Union who marched in solidarity on the campus were seen carrying different placards with inscriptions; “IPPIS is a scam”, “Pay all our outstanding promotion arrears”, “FG give our children proper education”, “enough is enough: govern us, not to oppress us”, among others.
