News Investigators/ The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ibadan Zone, has urged the Federal Government to implement recommendations of the Yayale Ahmed report submitted in February to avert another strike in public universities.
Biodun Olaniran, ASUU Coordinator, Ibadan Zone, made the call at a news conference held in Ibadan on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASUU, Ibadan Zone, has the following ASUU branches under it, University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.
Others are UNIOSUN, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education and Kwara State University, Malete.
Prof. Olaniran said that the call underscored the need for the Federal Government to honour the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement for sustainable funding/revitalisation of universities and its autonomy.
Other concerns, according to the zonal coordinator, were victimisation of ASUU members in LASU, KSU, and, FUTO, payment of outstanding 25-35 per cent salary and Third-Party Deductions.
On issues of promotion arrears for over four years, Olaniran faulted the payment platform being used for its members’ adding that “it still follows IPPIS template”, which the union had rejected due to its inadequacies.
He decried the effects of the non-payment and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance in Public Universities or its members.
Prof. Olaniran said that many of their members were unable to provide education for their wards and had turn to borrowing to meet their obligations.
He said that the report, which addressed all contentious issues between the union and government, represented a consensus reached after years of negotiations, but had been left unimplemented.
“The true test of government’s sincerity lies in how it handles the Yayale Ahmed report.
“Our members are frustrated with delay tactics and are no longer willing to be dragged along endlessly.
“Implementing this report is the surest way to restore confidence and industrial peace,” Olaniran said.
The Ibadan zone ASUU chairman, said that the union was aware of the planned meeting slated for Aug. 28, but expressed worry if that would mean an end to endless waiting for government to make good its words.
He said that ASUU had exercised patience with successive administrations, citing the draft agreement reached with the late Prof. Nimi Briggs-led committee in 2021, which was never signed.
Prof. Olaniran added that poor funding, withheld salaries, non-payment of promotion arrears, and the failure to mainstream earned academic allowances had worsened the plight of academics and contributed to brain drain.
The union also worry about what it termed the persistent erosion of university autonomy by the government and which lpcontinues with alarming impunity.
“ASUU has strongly opposed the unlawful dissolution of Governing Councils in public universities, even in instances where no misconduct has been reported and the councils have not completed their statutory tenure,”Olaniran said.
He urged Nigerians to prevail on the Federal government to take the recommendations seriously in order to prevent further disruption of the university calendar.
Present at the news conference includes Chairpersons of ASUU branches of UI, UNILORIN, LAUTECH, UNIOSUN, KWASU and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education.
NAN
