Tag: ASUU

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ASUU-LASU Declares Indefinite Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Lagos State University, LASU, chapter, has embarked on an indefinite strike action.
ASUU embarked on strike over alleged state government’s failure to implement the federal government-approved salary increment of 25 and 35 per cent for its members since January 2023.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the union’s Chairperson, Prof Ibrahim Bakare, and Secretary, Sylvester Idowu.
The union said the strike followed the refusal of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to implement the increase, noting that the increment has been implemented in all the federal universities and 18 state universities.
According to ASUU-LASU, the declaration of the strike was in conformity with the decision of the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of all the staff unions in the university, adding that a letter has been sent to the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello and governor Sanwo-Olu.
Recall that JAC comprises ASUU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.

The union is also calling on the Lagos State Government to harmonise its members’ salary scale with that of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, LASUSTECH, and the Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, which it said, earn better than their counterparts in LASU.
It explained that the government has failed to implement the recommendation of a committee set up by the government on the harmonisation of salaries.
The unions also dismissed claims by the institution’s student leaders that only ASUU is embarking on strike, insisting that the action is total and involved other unions.
 
“We are aware that the state government and the university management are making frantic efforts to resolve the unfortunate development but until then, the strike will go on.
 
“We wish to remind them that students have no stake in the matter or possess any right to meddle into welfare issues involving staff members of the university and the government, and as such they should not allow themselves to be used in a matter that does not directly concern them,” the statement said.
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ASUU-TSU Embarks On indefinite Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Taraba State University Chapter, ASUU-TSU has embarked on an indifinite strike.
ASUU-TSU said its members embarked on strike following the failure of the university management and the Taraba State government to resolve longstanding welfare and institutional challenges.
In a statement made available to journalists in Jalingo, the state capital on Wednesday, by the ASUU-TSU chairman, Dr Garba Mbave Joshua, the union explained that the strike became inevitable after the expiration of a 30-day grace period granted to the government, which ended on July 4, 2024.
The unresolved issues that prompted the industrial actions, as reeled out by the union leaders, include, the absence of a pension scheme, unpaid salary arrears,
Lack of a Governing Council, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances, EAA, exclusion from national minimum wage adjustments, and inadequate funding.
The union decried the lack of a functional pension scheme since the university’s inception, which it said threatens the future security of academic staff.
 
“Persistent delays in the payment of accumulated salary arrears have caused financial hardship for staff. Despite partial payments by the government, negotiations for the balance have collapsed.” Taraba ASUU said.
Disturbed that for over a year, the university has operated without a Governing Council, leaving critical decisions in limbo and affecting institutional management and the
academic staff, the union leaders said they “have been denied their entitlements dating back to the 2014/2015 academic session.
 
The union also accused the government of repeated but unfulfilled promises to address this issue.”
The union emphasized that it had made repeated efforts to engage with the government to resolve these issues. However, it said the lack of tangible action left it with no option but to take industrial action.
They called on stakeholders, including the public, to pressure the government to urgently address the issues, warning that the strike will continue until the demands are met.
 
“This action is in defence of our members’ welfare, the integrity of the institution, and the future of higher education in Taraba State,” the statement concluded.
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ASUU Threatens Strike After Expiration Of 21-Day Ultimatum To Nigerian Govt

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a warning that the Federal Government should be held accountable for any industrial unrest in Nigeria’s public universities.

ASUU issued the warning in a statement signed by the union’s Federal University, Dutse, FUD, Chairman, Comrade Dr Salim Ahmad.

The union noted that over the past four years, Nigeria’s public universities have been in a state of industrial disharmony, leading to two costly and avoidable strike actions.


“The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has made several concerted efforts to dialogue with government officials, including the President, with a view to addressing the outstanding issues in the agreement and the various memoranda signed between the Union and the Federal Government.

” Unfortunately, the Tinubu administration, like the Buhari’s, has been unyielding.

“The nonchalant attitude of the administration to our legitimate and reasonable demands compelled the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU, following wide consultations, to convene a meeting at the University of Ibadan from 17th to 18th August, 2024, where it exhaustively deliberated on the contending issues and resolved to give a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria to address them.

“This ultimatum was duly communicated to the government through the Minister of Education via a letter dated 20th August, 2024,” the statement said.

The statement added that after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, the Federal Government has not demonstrated any genuine commitment to address the issues in contention.

ASUU said failure of the Federal Government to meet the monetary and non-monetary demands of the union is brewing industrial disharmony in Nigeria’s public universities.

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ASUU Holds Crucial NEC Meeting

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU will hold an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

The crucial meeting, scheduled to take place at the ASUU Secretariat, will see the gathering of the union’s principal officers, national officers, zonal coordinators, and branch chairmen from across the nation to deliberate on pressing welfare issues affecting its members.

In preparation for the meeting, notifications have been sent to all those expected to participate, ensuring robust attendance for comprehensive discussions.

This gathering follows a prior meeting held at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, where specific tasks were assigned to zonal coordinators and branch chairmen.

A source, who preferred to remain anonymous, informed SunNewspaper that the agenda for the upcoming meeting would include a review of these assignments and further discussions on unresolved issues.

However, the source did not confirm whether the Federal Government had introduced any new proposals or taken decisive actions regarding the outstanding grievances that necessitated this emergency NEC meeting.

The source stated, “I am not aware of any new government positions on our demands. We have many outstanding demands that require the attention of the Federal Government. Several letters were written and no positive response.

“One thing that I can tell you is that our members are agitated over the withheld salaries, non-payment of the academic earned allowances, and other issues affecting public universities in the country, which the government has refused to address.”

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NLC: ASUU Joins Nationwide Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has instructed its members to join the ongoing strike led by the organized labour.

The NLC and TUC commenced a nationwide industrial action on Monday in protest against the N60,000 minimum wage proposal of the Federal Government.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, issued a statement on Monday, instructing branch chairpersons and zonal coordinators of ASUU to mobilize lecturers nationwide to participate in the strike as an affiliate of the congress.

The statement read, “The NLC has declared an indefinite strike action beginning from Monday, 3rd June, 2024, as a result of the failure of Government to conclude the renegotiation of minimum wage for Nigerian workers and reversal of hike in electricity tariff.

“Our branches are hereby enjoined to join in the strike action as an affiliate member of Congress.

“Consequently, branch chairpersons are to mobilise all members to participate in the strike action. Yours in the struggle.”

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ASUU Denies Knowledge Of Plan To Pay Members’ Withheld Salary

The Academic Staff Union of Universities’ leadership has stated that it is unaware of any directive from President Bola Tinubu regarding the payment of four out of eight months of withheld salary arrears for its members.

The National Vice President of ASUU, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, stated this in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the presentation of scholarships to university undergraduate students in Bauchi Zone, which was held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Yelwa Campus, Bauchi, on Saturday.

The PUNCH reported on October 20, 2023, that Tinubu had approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order instituted against striking members of the ASUU following their eight-month strike, which began on February 14, 2022, and was terminated on October 17, 2022.

The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed in a statement that the waiver “will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary that were withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.”

The statement was titled ‘President Tinubu approves partial waiver of the no work, no pay order on ASUU members; orders release of four months of withheld salary.’

However, Tinubu directed the grant of the waiver with the mandatory requirement that the  Ministry of Education and the  Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding establishing that the waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to ASUU and all other education sector unions.

Ngelale said the President sought to “mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms that were agreed upon during the deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

But Piwuna, when asked to comment on the said approval of the four-month salary arrears, said that ASUU is not aware of such.

  1. “We are not aware that the government has awarded money to anybody. We are not aware. As a union, we are not aware of that,” he declared.
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed its members to join the nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, starting from Monday midnight, November 13.

The President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, gave the directive in a letter sent to all the union zonal coordinators and branch chairpersons of the union on Monday evening.

“As an affiliate of NLC, all members of our union are hereby directed to join this action office NLC to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and the leadership of the union.

Zonal coordinators and branch chairpersons should immediately mobilise our members to participate in the action. A people united cannot be defeated,” he said.

It would be recalled that NLC and the TUC embarked on a nationwide strike last week over the ill-treatment of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero during the workers’ protest in Imo State

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ASUU Reacts to FG’s 25% Salary Pay Rise

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has reacted to reports that the federal government has increased salary of lecturers by 35 percent.
ASUU said it has not been informed of any pay rise given lecturers in federal institutions by the federal government.
The National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Friday.
He was reacting to a circular issued by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation regarding the increment.
 
“We have not been informed of such a development and when we are officially notified, we are going to react,” he told our correspondent on phone.
However, the National President of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, said he was aware of the circular.
He added that the pay rise was not enough, but that his union would not reject it.
“In fact that circular ought to have taken effect many months ago. We met the then Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, over the matter. The thinking then was that the circular would be made public last March and the effective date of its effectiveness would be as from January this year and the arrears paid.
 
“What they are offering is not enough but we are not rejecting it. However, this is to be taken different from the general upward review of salaries of public workers in view of the current economic crunch in the country,” he said.
Recall that the FG had earlier opposed 25% pay rise for lecturers, when it raised that of professors by 35%.
However, in a Circular No: OAuGF/ SW/C/QP/1395/VOL.1/11, dated September 21, 2023, issued by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, the Auditor General said the implementation was approved by the Presidential Committee on Salaries at its 13th meeting.
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ASUU Raises Alarm Over Rate Of Teenage Pregnancy At Benue IDP Camps

The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns over the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Benue.

The urged the Federal government to look into the crisis.

ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, made the call during ASUU’s humanitarian outreach to IDP camps at Abagana in Makurdi, the state capital.

Represented by Profs Ralph Ofokwu and Stellamarris Okey, the ASUU president lamented the inability to safely return the IDPs to their villages and homes now being occupied by armed herdsmen. The ASUU officials also brought food and clothing items to the IDPs.

Since January 2018, internally displaced persons across 12 camps in Benue fled their homes after killer herdsmen attacked the Logo and Guma local government areas, amongst other parts of the state.

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Student Loan: NANS Demands ASUU’s Removal From Board

The PUNCH reports that the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students has visited President Bola Tinubu.

NANS visited President Tinubu on Tuesday over the student loan bill that he signed into law on Monday.

The NANS delegation was led by the body’s National President, Umar Barambu.

Speaking to State House Correspondents after engagements with the President, Barambu revealed that they urged him to review the constitution of the special committee that will oversee the new Nigerian Education Loan Fund to include student representatives.

The NANS President said: “We thank the President for the Students Loan Bill.

“We have outlined the clauses that we are not too comfortable with. And part of them is the issue of that board that we mentioned to the President, which we said at least students’ representatives should be captured and there are some organisations that they put there, which to us, they don’t need to be there.

“We gave him an example, most especially the Nigerian Bar Association, ASUU. ASUU has its own  microfinance bank running their own affairs without students on their board. So, I don’t think it’s wise for us to allow them to be inside our own board because it is purely students.

“We are the major stakeholders of that bank. So I don’t think allowing them to be there is good. Not only them, we mentioned a lot of people that they should remove and put more of student-oriented organisation.”

In response,  the President promised to consider the requests of the NANS leaders but urged the students’ body to ensure unity among its members across the country to achieve more.

“You have to promote unity and stability among each other. You have to employ democratic means in your programmes and elections. I have to say anyone who is unable to accept and celebrate a free and fair election, does not deserve the joy of victory,” Tinubu said.

The President stresed that poverty should not prevent any Nigerian from obtaining quality education at the highest levels.

Therefore, he pledged that his administration would commit more resources to the education sector to ensure that every Nigerian child, regardless of their background, has access to quality education.

“Poverty should not prevent anybody, any child, including the daughter or son of a wood seller, ‘boli’ (plantain) seller or yam seller from attaining their highest standard of education, to eliminate poverty,” Tinubu said when he received the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students at the State House, Abuja.

“If we all believe that education is the greatest weapon against poverty, then we have to invest in it. If you eliminate poverty from one family, you can carry the rest of the weight,” the President said.

He thanked the students for supporting the removal of subsidy on petrol, explaining the reasons behind the decision and the need to curb smuggling.

“I’m glad you understand the reason for the subsidy removal. We were at a point where Nigeria tried to draw water from a dry well and that is no longer acceptable and we equally must not continue to service the smugglers because they used to take our tankers and Premium Motor Spirit across the borders.  We will put our money where our mouth is,” he said.