… Over alleged victimization, unpaid salaries
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal government of victimizing its members and tactically avoiding the payment of their salaries for up to 10 months.
It therefore warned that its members might be called out soon for another strike, if the government fails to address the union’s grievances.
In a statement by the Chairman of the University of Ibadan (UI) branch of the union, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, ASUU said despite suspending its strike on December 24, 2020, on the condition that its members would not be victimised for their role in the action, many lecturers were being owed salaries of between two and 10 months.
ASUU said while members were back to their duty posts, the harsh economic situation the members were experiencing due to unpaid salaries and non-refund of deducted check-off dues would affect productivity.
Akinwole said the government refused to remit deductions it made to the account of the union, which suggested that the government was planning to stifle ASUU.
The union leader warned that members could be forced to withdraw their services again, if pushed to the wall.
According to him, while government is paying outstanding five-month salaries for those on nominal role at a slow pace, over 100 UI academic workers are being owed salaries.
He said: “On December 23, 2020, ASUU conditionally suspended (with effect from 12:01 am on Thursday, December 24, 2020) its nine-month-old strike, which it began in March 23, 2020, owing to the failure of the Federal Government to address the outstanding issues, as outlined in the collective bargaining agreements of 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2019 freely reached and signed between the government and ASUU.
“The suspension of the strike was based on an agreement reached and a ‘Memorandum of Action’ signed in good faith between the government and the ASUU at a stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. A common position agreed upon (and expected to be respected) by the government and ASUU was that ‘Nobody shall be victimised in any way whatsoever for his/her role in the process leading to the Memorandum of Action’.
education in Nigeria and when push eventually comes to shove, as it definitely will in no distant future, the Nigerian public should accordingly blame the Federal Government for its insincerity. Blame the Federal Government of Nigeria if the universities are shut down again.”