Threat of shutdown: Buhari urges ASUU to consider fiscal constraints
…Renews FG’s promise to honour agreements
…Renegotiation central to resolving subjects of disputes — NIREC
By Moses Adeniyi
Ahead of fresh threat of resuming strikes by stakeholders in the Country’s public university system, which may lead to another season of academic lockdown for the institutions, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the aggrieved stakeholders to consider the fiscal constraints of the Government.
This is just as he renewed the promise of the Federal Government to honour the agreements reached with the stakeholders.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) among other umbrella bodies, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) have recently issued threats of staging new strike actions over breaches on the part of the Federal Government in the agreements reached by the parties.
Recall that in December, ASUU had threatened to embark on strike over alleged non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MOA) it signed with the Federal Government.
Addressing journalists at the end of its zonal meeting held at the University of Ilorin, the Ibadan zone coordinator of the union, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke, had called on Nigerians to intervene “at this critical moment before our members withdraw their services.”
Subjects of concern in the MOA include “Funding for Revitalisation of Public Universities; Payment of Earned Academic Allowances, Withheld Salaries and Promotion Arrears; Renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement; Inconsistencies in IPPIS Payment and University Transparency and Accountability Solution.”
The fear of the disruption that such strike would have on the County’s education system should it take course, informed a meeting by members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja, where the later vowed the Federal Government would keep to its promises.
According to President Buhari, the Federal Government remains committed to honouring promises made to the ASUU to prevent disruptive strikes, engender uninterrupted academic programmes and improve funding of education institutions.
President Buhari who made a pledge when he received members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) led by the Co-Chairs, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, in Abuja on Tuesday, said though challenged by fiscal limitations, the Government “remains committed to honouring our promises.”
Buhari who averred that no society which wishes itself well would neglect its educational system and all its component parts, urged NIREC to, in its subsequent consultations with members of ASUU, make it known to them that government regarded them and the service they provide to the nation.
Mentioning that it was important for the Union to be cognisant of the fiscal pressures the Government is currently facing, he urged ASUU to continue to work with the Government towards finding resolutions to the challenges confronting it.
“However, they should be cognisant of the fiscal pressures that we are currently facing. Nevertheless, we remain committed to honouring our promises.
“For their part, I will like to encourage ASUU to continue to work with us toward finding resolutions to the challenges that confront us.
“My administration is committed to this engagement and dialogue, and I urge them to stay the course toward a joint resolution in the best interest of our children and nation,” Buhari said.
Further responding to issues raised by the leadership of NIREC on finding lasting solutions to the disruptions threatening the credibility of the nation’s university system by incessant strikes, President Buhari said he had directed his Chief of Staff, the Ministers of Labour and Employment and Education, to make resolving the issue a priority.
“To show our commitment, several payments have been made over the last 6 months, addressing several of the issues you raised – details of which the minister of labour and employment can make available to you.
“Funding has also been provided for infrastructure development across several public universities and several of them have begun drawing down on this facility to improve their level of infrastructure,” he explained.
On the contested subject of the practicality of the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) or the University Transparency Accountability Solutions (UTAS), which has been a major source of dispute between both parties, Buhari said efforts were ongoing by the the appropriate bodies to see to the adoption of the alternative University Transparency Accountability Solutions (UTAS) as agreed.
“Finally, and perhaps the most contentious of issues regarding the decision to use either the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) or the University Transparency Accountability Solutions (UTAS).
“As you may be aware, IPPIS was introduced as a means of blocking leakages. Through IPPIS, the Federal Government was able to save over N100billion annually from the core civil service alone.
“In view of the resistance from ASUU we devised UTAS which is now on the table.
“I have also been informed that the System Assessment Report conducted by NITDA has been shared by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to all stakeholders, including ASUU, and they are to make the appropriate modifications and report their recommendations,” Buhari said.
…Renegotiation central to resolving subjects of disputes — NIREC
The CAN President, who spoke on behalf of the Council, said the meeting with the president was on the single point of averting strikes in the universities and the challenges of ASUU, which they considered to be of national interest.
According to the CAN President in the outcome from NIREC’s meeting with ASUU on Jan. 10, 2022, the university lecturers outlined that the bone of contention between the union and the Federal Government centred on eight issues.
The identified issues include the inconclusive renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, UTAS, IPPIS and distortion in salary payment challenges.
Also forming contentious issues were visitation panels to Federal Universities report, funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowance, state universities and promotion arrears.
He submitted that with renegotiation on some of the practicality of some agreements put in place, other issues will be adequately addressed along the line.
While acknowledging that some of the issues had been addressed by the government, the NIREC leadership appealed to the President to direct the immediate return to the table to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
“If the renegotiation process continues to conclusion, issues that the government is not comfortable with can be renegotiated with a view to reaching only implementable agreements.
“We believe that with renegotiation in place, other issues will be adequately addressed along the line,” the NIREC co-chair, Ayokunle, said.
On his part, Buhari commended the leadership of NIREC for intervening in the lingering disputes by ASUU and holding consultations with the parties.
Recall that the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife branch of ASUU had on Monday, 31, 2022 declared an indefinite strike following the non-payment of Earned Academic Allowance to its members.
The decision to commence strike was part of the resolutions reached at the ASUU emergency Congress held on Monday.
A communique issued after the Congress, signed by Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, the OAU ASUU chairman, had read in part, “Congress noted that there was no serious commitment on the part of the University to effect payment of EAA to deserving members.
“Congress also noted that all political and diplomatic means to resolve the imbroglio has failed. Consequently, congress resolved that: Total, Comprehensive and Indefinite Strike should commence immediately.
“The strike must not be called off without a congress resolution to the effect. Payment of EAA must be based on ASUU computation. Anything short of this would be unacceptable.
“The Strike Coordinating Committee be set up to monitor the strike. Based on the above and on the strength of the permission granted by ASUU National President, the Chairman, on behalf of the congress declared the commencement of ASUU.”
Recall that in the wake of the planned protest of the Nigeria Labour Congress last month against the proposed removal of subsidy, SSANU, in pledge of support had lamented the breaches in the agreements.
Speaking at its 41st Regular National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife, Osun State, the SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, had lamented that, “The present federal government of Nigeria is not doing any better in its relationship with our labour unions. SSANU in particular is facing the most difficult period of its existence because our members are going through a lot in terms of hardship, in terms of denial.
“We have had a 2009 Agreement which is about 12 years down the line, just less than 40% of that agreement has seen the light of the day. Even those that have seen the light of the day, they are coming in different forms and sizes that are not encouraging and not also friendly to our membership.
“Today what our members go through is mutilation of salaries, non-payment of promises made such as that of the new minimum wage arrears, non-implementation or partial or lopsided payment of the hazard and responsibility allowance, issues of staff schools that have become an issue of concern to all our membership.
“Funding of state universities has become so terrible, some universities in Nigeria of state extraction suffer 12 months or two, three years of non-payment of salaries and allowances. Inter-university centers that are supposed to be part of our struggle have been denied of their legitimate rights and privileges of accessing allowances that have been approved and agreed upon with the federal government of Nigeria.
“The renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement is still wobbling and dancing. We also see today in our Nigerian universities this dangerous and reckless usurpation of our duties of our members by some Vice Chancellors who give out our duties as specified in our callings to other people who do not know better than we do.”
Recall that a nine-month-old strike which commenced in March 2020, was suspended in December 2020 with the MOA, which the stakeholders have lamented had largely not been observed by the Federal Government.
Upon agreements, on the 23rd December, 2020, following the MOA, reached between the Union and the Federal Government, ASUU National President, Biodun Ogunyemi, at a briefing to declare the Union’s resolve, had then warned that the Union would return back to strike in any case of breach of the Agreements reached.
