ASUU condemns politicisation of education, laments neglect of existing varsities

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticised the federal and state governments for prioritising political interests over the funding and development of public universities.

Speaking at a press conference in Damaturu, Yobe State, ASUU Chairperson, Melemi Abatcha, accused governments of treating university education as a political tool, establishing new institutions without adequate funding for existing ones.

Abatcha expressed concerns over the proliferation of public universities, stating that it has become a constituency project for politicians, rather than a priority for quality education.

He highlighted the challenges faced by academic staff, including insufficient funding, and lamented the neglect of existing universities.

“The federal government has not fulfilled its promises from 2023, including the allocation of N50 billion for the payment of the backlog of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and the integration of EAA into salaries from January 2022,” he claimed.

Abatcha further stated that, despite lecturers covering their workloads during forced strikes, salaries remain withheld.

“Even with the directive of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the removal of ASUU from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform since December 2023, ASUU members are still being paid via the obnoxious platform (IPPIS).

“The removal of the fuel subsidy without viable alternatives has inflicted significant hardship on the populace, and we are eager to avoid exacerbating this situation with another disruption to academic activities,” he stated.

“Furthermore, we urge the government to demonstrate empathy for the struggles of Nigerians by promptly agreeing to and implementing a fair and reasonable living wage for Nigerian workers.”