…blames ASUU/FG
We cannot work on empty stomach-ASUU
ASUU members collecting salaries for work not done-FG
By AAT
For over Seven month, the gates of varsity across the country has remained shut to students following refusal of Academic Staff Union of Universities,(ASUU) members to enroll on the IPPIS payment platform they were to enroll on. These disagreements started before the outbreak of coronavirus and still after relaxation of lockdown, the Union had continued to maintain its stand by dictating to the government on how to be paid.
However, our correspondent who visited various Universities noticed that some students who rented apartment outside the school campuses had started returning back to their rented houses due to continuous frustration at home and possibly because of idleness.
ASUU members through its union after an agreement by the government to release 40 billion naira to cater for earned academic allowance refused to call off the seven month strike insisting that the issue of payment platform needed to be agreed upon as well as other agreement before the strike can be called off.
The Minister of Labour and employment, Dr. Chris Ngige who had been chairing the negotiation meeting disclosed that the government would release 30 billion on or before 6thn November while the remaining N10 billion would be stretched over two tranches to be paid May 2021 and Feb 2022.
The Government also noted that ASUU members are currently collecting salaries for work note done and advise them to reconsider their stance.
The government side appealed to ASUU to enroll on the Integrated Payroll and personal information System,(IPPIS) platform and migrate back to the University Transparency and Accountability solution(UTAS) after its efficacy had been tested but the union refused blatantly.
The government also agreed that if UTAS passes all the different stages of the integrity test, which would involve the National Information Technology Developmental Agency,(NSA),and after ascertaining its efficacy it would be adopted for the payment of the University.”
“Government also offered to pay, by the end of January 2021, the sum of N20 billion as funding for the revitalization of public Universities, as well as seek for resources of alternative and additional funding of the University system, among other conclusions.”
ASUU under Biodun Ogunyemi and Strikes
Prof Biodun Ogunyemi is a professor of Education at the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State. He was elected in May 2016 as the National President Ogunyemi after assuming office declared the first national strike in his tenure.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on an indefinite strike accusing the Federal Government of failure to redeem the terms of agreement signed in 2009. The strike commenced on Sunday, August 13th 2017 following an emergency National Executive Council meeting of the union in Abuja. The Federal Government quickly responded by convening a meeting at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Education, Mal. Adamu Adamu and the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.
Earlier in 2020, the disagreement on payment platform ensued and on March 9, 2020 the Union commenced a warning strike which later extended till date.
The question is when will the strike be over?
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has blamed a previous administration for being responsible for the continuous strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Adamu at a town hall meeting while responding to a corps member who asked a question on the persistent strike said the government shouldn’t have entered into agreement with ASUU to pay them N1.3tn when it knew it couldn’t pay it.
He wasn’t specific about the administration he was referring to but said Government isn’t happy about the current strike.
MATTER ARISING
Many Students who rented house outside school risk paying another rent as the landlords concern may not be joined in the strike, this has been many complain from Students as well as those who were in final year as at the commencement of the strike.
In an interview with a Student of the University of Lagos, Abraham Olayinka appealed to the government to urgently resolve the ongoing impasse saying Students are at the receiving end.
Also, a Student of Federal University University of Akure, Akpomuje Ogheneochuko Daniel advice the government and ASUU to come to common agreement and call the protracted strike off.
“Students are eager to resume. I will be happy if ASUU can call of the strike and when they do, there should be any pressure because at the end, Students will be the one to suffer for it”, said Daniel.
