Again, strike looms as ASUU issues 14-day ultimatum to FG over withheld salaries, others
…Demands immediate action on long-standing issues
By Sodiq Adelakun
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Nigerian Federal Government, threatening industrial action if critical demands remain unaddressed.
This latest warning follows a prolonged period of unresolved issues affecting the nation’s public universities.
In a statement released on Wednesday, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke expressed the union’s frustration over the government’s failure to renegotiate the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, despite recommendations from the Nimi Briggs Committee’s 2021 Draft Agreement.
He emphasised the urgency of the situation, stating, “ASUU resolves to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, September 23, 2024, during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the union.”
Key demands include the immediate release of withheld salaries from the 2022 strike, payment of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments, and the resolution of outstanding third-party deductions.
Osodeke criticised the government’s delay tactics, asserting that they exacerbate the crisis within the university system.
In addition to salary issues, ASUU is advocating for improved funding for public universities as outlined in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, payment of Earned Academic Allowances, and a commitment to implement the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for the contentious Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
With the ultimatum now in place, tensions are escalating between ASUU and the Federal Government, raising concerns about the potential for renewed strikes that could disrupt academic activities across Nigeria.
The union warned it should not be held accountable for any ensuing industrial action stemming from governmental inaction.
Among other key demands, ASUU is urging the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments, which were affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
They are also pushing for the payment of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.
The union has called for proper funding for the revitalization of public universities, as partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, as well as the payment of Earned Academic Allowances.
The union is alarmed by the proliferation of universities established by federal and state governments, which they argue dilutes quality and resources.
Among the issues ASUU demands attention to are the implementation of recommendations from university visitation panels, the urgent reversal of the unlawful dissolution of Governing Councils, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
