ASUU: Lecturers Insist On Not Calling Off Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] Lecturers has insisted on not calling off the ongoing strike until the federal government meets it demands.

ASUU said both parties reached an agreement in their last meeting, but are fed up of empty promises by the federal government.

The Lecturers insisted that the strike would not be called off unless there is tangible evidence and concrete actions carried out by the federal government in implementing what they have promised.

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made the statement in an interview in Lagos on Thursday.

“Our members said they want to see evidence of satisfactory implementation of all they have proposed before the strike can be called off.”

Prof, Biodun continued, “As for the proposal, it can be disaggregated.

“There are items there that require implementation. If they are setting up a committee on state universities, and they actually do, it is not something we need to agree on. It is about action.

“If they have implemented it, it is off the list. If the government says it will pay a shortfall of salaries on a certain date, and the date comes and they release the money, it is also implementation. There is no agreement on the matter.

“On the revitalisation fund, we presented to the government that five tranches of N220bn each were outstanding. The government has not said it will release one, even if it is spread over a period of one year. There is no agreement on that. What they are offering is not even up to one tranche.

“Last year, they promised to release the fund but they did not till November when the strike began. Long story short, our members are saying they do not want promises again, what they want is action, implementation or disbursement of funds. The government must act in a way to convince the union that agreement has not been set aside; to show that government has not set aside the agreement, they should release one tranche.”

He further explained that ASUU and the government will restart negotiation on arrears of earned academic allowances.

“We are going to have a discussion on when to commence renegotiation because there are still grey areas. If the government can substantially address these issues, we will be more confident to face our members on the way forward. For now, the feeler we are getting is that our members do not actually want to accept this government proposal from us.

“They said they would pay the shortfall of salary arrears of what was removed from workers’ salaries. There are 20 universities identified. The money will be available by January 18. It is around the corner and we will see if it will come,” he said.