Protest organized by the Plateau State University (PLASU) branch of ASUU in Bokkos
By CHRISTIANA LOT, Jos –
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned of an imminent crisis in the nation’s university system over the Federal Government’s failure to review lecturers’ salaries for more than 15 years and refusal to implement the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the Plateau State University (PLASU) branch of ASUU in Bokkos said lecturers were “teaching on empty stomachs” and working under conditions that had left them “forgotten, shamed and demoralised” by successive governments.
ASUU-PLASU Chairman, Dr. Monday Hassan Zitta, who spoke on behalf of the union, lamented that Nigerian universities had been reduced to “shadows of themselves.”
He said, “Feelers across campuses indicate that lecturers in Nigerian public universities are, to put it mildly, not happy. They teach students on empty stomachs. They conduct research in libraries and laboratories bereft of essential electronic and physical journals, books, chemicals and reagents.
“They engage with communities and agencies in rickety cars while encumbered by utility bills, children’s fees, house rents, family upkeep and a legion of other unmet responsibilities. Yet elite Nigerians are quick to blame the universities for ‘producing unemployable graduates’ and failure to initiate innovative research for addressing the country’s problems.
“Our members feel forgotten, shamed and demoralised by past and present governments.”
The union accused government of failing to honour collective bargaining principles, particularly the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement which, it said, had dragged unresolved for years.
“Every major dispute ASUU has had with governments since 2012, when the 2009 Agreement was due for renegotiation, emanated from failure to respect the provisions of the signed document on conditions of service, funding, university autonomy and academic freedom.
“No memorandum or ‘discussion’ can take the place of a Collective Bargaining Agreement which fully addresses staff welfare issues and the requisite environment for productive academic work. The time to act is now,” Zitta declared.
On Plateau State University, the branch accused management of breaching its agreement on Earned Academic Allowance. According to Zitta, the management unilaterally reduced the monthly payment from N20m earlier agreed with the state government to N10m and went ahead to implement a disputed template despite objections from the union.
“This is a call for industrial disharmony in the university. This action is not only demoralising to members of academic staff of the university, but also a sign that some people do not want the progress of Plateau State University, Bokkos,” he said.
ASUU also listed other unresolved issues with the institution, including pension deductions, gratuity fund management, remuneration for postgraduate programmes, staff quarters, road network, health insurance, electricity, and provision of buses for academic staff.
The union urged both Federal and State Governments to act swiftly to prevent another nationwide strike in public universities.
Backing the protest, ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, maintained that the union would not relent until all agreements were implemented.
He said “We are ready to fight to get the issues resolved, but there won’t be any need for that if only the government can listen at this time and do the needful.”
Similar protests were held on Thursday at the University of Jos and other campuses across the country as ASUU members renewed calls on government to avert another nationwide strike.
