Strike looms in Nigerian universities

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have called on stakeholders, including the National Assembly, religious leaders, traditional rulers and students, to caution the Federal Government against pushing university teachers to embark on a nationwide strike.

The call came on the heels of protests by members of the union across the country, especially in Federal Government-owned universities.

The union described the decision of the government to offer its members loans as a Greek gift which, according to it, is unnecessary if the government paid their dues and entitlements.

But the government in its immediate response, yesterday, expressed optimism that it would not be allowed to degenerate to a full blown industrial action.

Mrs Folasade Boriowo, Director of Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Education, who stated this yesterday, said: “A delegation of the Federal Ministry of Education, to be led by the Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, will be meeting with the leaders of the union on Thursday (tomorrow) and I am confident that things would be sorted out. Nothing will be allowed to get out of hand.’’

Meanwhile, across the nation, various chapters of ASUU are displeased with the government, and they are expressing their grouses via protests. They are preparing for a show down to be instructed by the national body.

Professor Adeola Egbedokun, Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Akure Zone, expressed deep concern over the alleged failure of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to attend to the various demands of the union since his assumption of office two years ago.

Egbedokun, who spoke at a briefing at Federal University, Oye Ekiti, yesterday, said the Federal Government’s failure to heed ASUU’s several calls and agitations had pushed the lecturers to the edge, adding that their patience had been stretched to its breaking point.

At the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) the protesting lecturers, led by Prof. Opeyemi Olajide, the chairperson, ASUU UNIUYO, said: “Today (yesterday), university lecturers are staging a protest to let the world know how Federal Government is treating us with disdain.

‘’The government has decided to destroy public university system as it did to public primary and secondary schools.”

He ordered all students, who came for their Computer-Based Test, CBT, exams to go home as no examination would be administered, threatening that the union might embark on indefinite strike if nothing was done to address their concerns.

In the same vein, lecturers at the University of Jos, led by the branch chairperson, Comrade Jurbe Molwus, called on President Tinubu to renew their hope.

According to him, the hope of members in the FG doing the needful is fading away. “Time is running out. Considering the fact that we have been on this renegotiation for over eight years, trust has been destroyed by government,” he cautioned.

ASUU members at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, accused the government of insensitivity over their plight.

Speaking during the protest, Professor Chike Ugwuene, Chairman of ASUU, MOUAU chapter, said the current economic realities had made the 2009 renegotiated agreement, which recommended less than N500,000 as take-home for a professor, a mockery, arguing that the recommendation was far less than the African average of N1.5 million.

ASUU members at the University of Abuja, also joined the protest.

Addressing the protesters, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, chairman of ASUU, UNIABUJA chapter, said the action was aimed at drawing the attention of the federal government and the public to the worsening hardship confronting academic staff.

He revealed that the government currently owed lecturers three and a half months’ salaries, a full year arrears of the 25 and 35 per cent wage awards, as well as over five years of unpaid promotion arrears.

Ebonyi varsity ASUU too

In Ebonyi State, the protest paralysed academic activities at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), as the lecturers marched along the major roads within and outside the school.

Comrade Louis Omenyi, Chairperson of ASUU AE-FUNAI, while briefing newsmen after the protest, accused the Federal Government of paying lecturers obsolete and expired salaries structure, describing it as unacceptable.

Lecturers at the University of Ibadan, UI, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, also staged a peaceful protest yesterday, warning President Tinubu to sign the renegotiated agreement with the union by August 28 or risk a full-scale strike across Nigeria’s public universities.

The lecturers, joined by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said they had been “pushed to the wall” by the federal government’s prolonged delay in honouring agreements dating back as far as 2009.

At UI, ASUU chairman, Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, led the protest, alongside Oyo State NLC chairman, Mr Kayode Martins.

Dr. Alex Akanmu, Chairman of the union at University of Ilorin, said: “University workers are not slaves, increase budgetary allocation for education. As peace loving as we are, we can no longer allow the welfare of our members to be subjected to the delay tactics of this government.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters at the University of Maiduguri, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia, the ASUU chairman, said treating intellectuals with such disregard cannot result to meaningful progress in Nigeria.

He said: “Professors who have dedicated over four decades to educating generations retire on a meagre N150,000 under the contributory pension scheme, while inflation exceeds 21%.

‘’This is not just a labour issue, it is a national disgrace. A country that treats its intellectuals with such disregard cannot expect meaningful progress.”