ASUU Strikes to resume in 2021 as FG reneges on agreement

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to resume its suspended strike again due to non-payment of salaries and alleged victimization of its members.

This is coming against the backdrop of an earlier agreement with the Federal Government team before the suspension of the 9 months strike on December 23, 2020.

According to a report by Punch, this disclosure was contained in a statement issued by the Chairman, University of Ibadan branch of ASUU, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

While asked Nigerians to blame the Federal Government if universities are shut down again, Akinwole said that many lecturers are still being owed salaries of between 2 and 12 months despite the agreement with the government.

READ: FG accuses ASUU of refusing to reciprocate its offers

What the ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan branch is saying

Akinwole pointed out that over 100 lecturers were yet to receive payments for the 2 months at the University of Ibadan with lecturers in some universities not receiving any payment since February 2020.

The ASUU chairman said, “While ASUU as a union and her members as individuals in various branches have remained faithful to this agreement by returning to classes and performing their respective duties, the Federal Government, true to type, has reneged on its part.

“Contrary to FGN affirmation of its commitment to pay all withheld salaries of ASUU members who have not enrolled in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information system (IPPIS), three months after the suspension of Strike, thousands of ASUU members across various branch are still being owed salaries.

READ ALSO: ASUU strike: NANS threaten to shut down all private universities

 “Instead of deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) software developed by ASUU, which has been adjudged effective for payment of salaries, some of our members are still being denied their salaries and others are being coerced by agents of the government to register on the repressive IPPIS for payment of salaries.

“The Union ASUU and her members are made to suffer from all the aforementioned attacks by the federal government while the public expects our members, some of who now live on the charity of family members and colleagues for survival to use their personal resources to discharge their duties diligently in the universities.

READ: ASUU: FG moves to register a rival union

“These harsh conditions would have terrible consequences on public tertiary education in Nigeria and when push eventually comes to shove, as it definitely will in no distant future, the Nigerian public should accordingly blame the Federal Government for its insincerity.

“Blame the federal government of Nigeria if the universities are shut down again.”

Timeline of ASUU Strikes in recent times

• It can be recalled that ASUU embarked on the strike action in March 2020, following its disagreement with the Federal Government over the funding of the universities and implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which according to the union, negates the autonomy policy for the universities.
• ASUU had called off its 9-month old strike after the Federal Government agreed to some of its conditions which includes the deployment of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) software for payment of its salaries and allowances.
• However, the report suggests that after 2 weeks of the conditional suspension of the strike embarked upon by ASUU, the Federal Government allegedly flouted the agreements, which includes the payment of the lecturers 6 months salaries, including December 2020 salaries, owed lecturers.

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