Why We Embarked On Warning Strike: ASUU

The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) has said it embarked on a warning strike in order to salvage the already decayed university system.

This was disclosed by Prof. Theophilus Lagi, Abuja Zonal Coordinator, comprising the University of Abuja, Federal University of Lafia, Federal University of Technology Minna, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, and Nasarawa State University Keffi during a press briefing Thursday in Abuja.

ASUU embarked on two weeks warning strike on Monday over issues relating to the 2009-2019 memorandum of understanding/action with the Federal Government and forceful imposition of IPPIS on universities.

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Lagi said that the body’s “patriotic agitations and actions over the years is premised on six cardinal demands which include Fund for Revitalization of public universities (Federal and States), renegotiation of the 2009 FGN / ASUU Agreement, payment of outstanding Earned, Academic Allowances and the mainstreaming of same into our members’ salaries, proliferation of Universities by the State governments, the constitution of Visitation Panel to Federal Universities and the planned forceful imposition of IPPIS on universities and failure of FGN to pay our members’ February 2020 salaries.”

“These issues had been agreed upon by FGN and ASUU via several memoranda. To wit, 2012, the 2013 (MoU), the 2017 (MoA) and the 7th February, 2019 (MoA) which aggregated the cardinal arguments of the previous three. Unfortunately, these noble initiatives proposed by our great union and accepted by the FGN for the uplift of Nigeria education have remained contentious areas of our union’s engagement with the government owing to the non-implementation of significant aspects of these interventions.”

“ASUU also wants FGN to declare a five-year State of Emergency in the education sector during which at least 26% of FGN budget and same percentage of States’ budgets should be allocated to education.

“The derailment by government from the principles of those interventions has led to the current deficiency and decay we see on our campuses. This is compounded by the unnecessary meddlesomeness in the internal administrative procedures and processes of our universities by the government and its agents such as AGF and the Minister of Finance. We want the nation to understand that our opposition to the implementation of IPPIS in our Universities is a patriotic action because the scheme is a bastion of fraud that permits the enrolment of ghost workers and constitutes a drain on the scarce finances of the Nigerian state.

“From the foregoing, we in the Abuja Zone have resolved to prosecute this strike to its logical conclusion and we call upon students, parents and well-meaning Nigerians to understand that what we are doing is to salvage the already decayed university system and the future of our children,” he added.