FG Causing Hardship On University System-ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) on Monday accused the federal government of constantly unleashing hardship on the university system.

ASUU Akure Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, made this accusation while addressing journalists ahead of the zonal meeting of the union held in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

He also accused the government of disregarding the agreement tailored towards the welfare of the lecturers and the universities, despite the good intention of the union.

Egbedokun disclosed that the federal government had reneged on its promise to discard Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System for paying university lecturers.

He noted that the use of IPPIS to pay part of the withheld salary of ASUU members was against the agreement reached with the union, adding that many of its members are still being owed several months of promotion arrears, ranging from 6 to 36 months.

The ASUU Coordinator, while demanding the immediate release of promotion arrears of ASUU members, urged Nigerians not blame the union for the continuous industrial unrest on campus.

He also blamed the rising wave of violent crimes, especially kidnapping in the country to the poor funding of education by the government.

“The government is insincere about funding education. They are insincere because how can successive administrations arrange several meetings where agreements were signed and such agreements would not be implemented? What has taken us to this particular quagmire is that the government failed to own up to the agreements signed with ASUU.

“At this point again, we have to talk about the 26 per cent budgetary allocation which of course is the yardstick set by UNESCO. If the government is sincere, definitely government will definitely know that it is the only solution to the present problem that we find ourselves in.

“Most of these people that are creating insecurity, the hoodlums, perhaps it was because they didn’t have sufficient education. If education had been properly funded, definitely there wouldn’t have been any need for agitation from members of staff because they would have been paid.

“Presently as we talk some people are hiding in the bush looking for who to kidnap because the government has surreptitiously removed them from having education. Education happens to be the only saving grace for people to live a good life.

“If this continues, we are talking about economic hardship, it won’t be a case of what ASUU is going to get, but it is going to be the case of what is going to be the next accident for the nation,” he said.

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