ASUU Seeks Repositioning Of Public Universities For National Development

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, has called on federal and various state governments to reposition public universities for national development, as a sequel to the FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009.

The Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Owerri Zone, Professor Dennis Aribodor, made the call during a press conference at the ASSU Secretariat, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, on Monday, pointing out that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari jettisoned the main elements of the 2009 agreement and other lingering issues that led to the nationwide strike action of February-October ,2022.
The Union urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently wade in and address the issues.

Aribodor, flanked by other executive members of the union,urged the Federal Government to urgently put a final closure to the renegotiation by directing the upward review in view of current economic realities and signing of the draft agreement reached with the Nimi Briggs committee.

He also disclosed that academic staff in public universities have been on the same salary structure for 15 years.

According to Aribodor, “ASUU is a patriotic organisation committed to national development and should be taken very seriously when she talks. The renegotiation of the FGN/ASUU Agreement of 2009 has dragged for seven years since 2017. The reluctance of the Fedeal Government to conclude the renegotiation is the reason why the government committee has had three Chairmen from Wale Babalakin through Munzali Jibril to Nimi Briggs.

“This means that academic staff in our universities have been on the same salary structure for 15 years. We urge the President Bola Tinubu administration to speedily put a final closure to the renegotiation by directing the upward review in view of current economic realities and signing of the draft agreement reached with the Nimi Briggs committee.

“The most obvious implication of the truncation of the renegotiation of the Agreement is that university teachers in Nigeria have been on the same salary regime since 2009 when the value of the naira to the dollar was N120 as against N1,800 today. How do you expect to get the best from lecturers with this kind of development?

The lecturers also called for the signing of the Nimi Briggs Draft Agreement, adding that it will be a concrete step towards restoring the dignity of the academia and ensuring industrial harmony and peace on the country’s campuses.

The ASUU members also accused the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof. Nnenna Oti, of “intimidation and victimisation” of members, over their rejection of the appointment of Dr Isa Ibrahim Ali Pantami, as a professor in the institution.

They said, “The attacks on committed ASUU members at FUTO came on the heels of the Union’s principled stance against the illegal appointment of Dr Isa Ibrahim, as a Professor in that University while not qualified for the position and while serving as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Vice Chancellor whimsically stopped union leaders from attending statutory meetings of Senate and university committees. We note that statutory senate meetings and other University committee meetings are outside the union roles of our union leaders.

“This clearly is an act of victimization. We reaffirm our support of NEC condemnation of the action of the FUTO administration and urge the Vice Chancellor of FUTO to take the path of honour and reverse the illegal appointment of Dr. Isa Ibrahim Ali Pantami.

“We call on the Minister of Education and other well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on Prof. Nnenna Oti, the Vice Chancellor of FUTO, to respect the Laws of FUTO and stop persecuting our members for insisting that the right thing should be done in that university.”

Among other demands made by the ASUU members include the release of withheld salaries of some of its members, payment of arrears of earned academic allowances, reversal of illegal dissolution of university’s Governing Councils, the exit of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), among other.

The executive members of the union from the various institutions in the zone: Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Imo State University, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igboariam, Anambra State, Michael Okpara University Umudike,Imo State and Federal University of Technology Owerri, were at the press conference.