Education

Strike: Lecturers Responding To ‘War’ Declared By FG – ASUU Chairman

Published

2 years ago

Aug 31, 2022.

Strike: Lecturers Responding To ‘War’ Declared By FG – ASUU Chairman

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Lagos chapter, Dele Ashiru, says the Federal Government declared war on ASUU and lecturers in public universities are only responding to the unacceptable treatment with the indefinite strike.

Ashiru spoke on Wednesday morning when he featured as a guest on Channels Television.

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“Government declared war on our union, we are only responding. Six months or seven months down the line, our members are suffering the consequences of a strike caused by the government. If you deploy the weapon of hunger upon people that is a war,” he said.

The Federal Government had on Tuesday summoned a meeting with Vice Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors for September 6, 2022, at the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja over ASUU’s over six-month strike which started on February 14, 2022.

But the chairman of the union in UNILAG said the proposed meeting is “part of government’s diversionary tactics” and “another jamboree to waste government’s money”.

“The Vice Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors are not in dispute with the government. So, whatever that meeting is going to achieve is yet to be seen.
What government ought to concentrate on doing is to negotiate with our union,” Ashiru said.

On claims that the government has met 80% of the demands of ASUU, Ashiru said, “Not one item (has been met), even the one that requires no money. For example, we desire that a government White Paper on Visitation Panel be released. Up till now, more than two years, (Minister of Education), Adamu Adamu cannot release White Paper.”

ASUU has been on strike over the poor welfare of its members, non-payment of Earned Allowances, and deployment of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system as against its preferred payment option, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.

Ashiru, on Wednesday, maintained that the Federal Government suspend the IPPIS because it is a contravention of the university’s autonomy.

“Nimi Briggs’ Committee recommended an increase in salaries for our members. It is about how the government can fund public universities and also suggested to the government in line with the tripartite agreement that IPPIS be (suspended), because it violates the university autonomy, and then UTAS be deployed,” he said.

On the way forward, Ashiru said, “Government has not demonstrated enough good fate to enable our union to reciprocate and there is also the principle of reciprocity.