The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUU

  • Senate to ASUU: Go back to class

    Senate to ASUU: Go back to class

    The Senate on Wednesday appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU), to  call off its nationwide industrial action in the interest of the country.

    The indefinite strike action embarked upon by ASUU members entered its 4th day on Thursday.

    The upper legislative chamber described the strike by the University teachers as a surprise to it having intervened earlier in the year when ASUU embarked on warning strike.

    It said that its intervention facilitated renegotiation of some outstanding issues between ASUU and the Federal government on the implementation of the 2009 agreement.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Jubrin Barau who made the plea at media briefing in Abuja said ASUU needed to call off the strike for renegotiation proper to commence between it and the Federal Government.

    Barau noted that the industrial action should not have been the first option by the university teachers since the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, has shown tremendous concern to the resolution of the disagreement between ASUU and the Federal Government.

    He said, “This strike action by ASUU is as a result of not having confidence in  the committee set up by the federal government to renegotiate the 2009 agreement. But we in the Senate are surprised that ASUU did not report back to us on problems being encountered with the executive on the agreement before embarking on the strike.

    “The committee therefore calls on ASUU to reconsider its position, shelve the strike action and return for renegotiation with the federal government on the said agreement. “

    Barau said that the committee and its counterpart in the House of Representatives will monitor the renegotiation by ensuring that the needful was done for ASUU and the universities by the federal government.

    He said that ASUU should go back to class while renegotiation of the 2009 agreements continues.

     On the rush for acquisition of university education abroad by children of the rich said that the trend cannot be outlawed.

    He noted that no matter how detrimental the trend might be to the growth of universities in the country, it would difficult to outlaw it.

     He insisted that outlawing going outside the country for university education would amount to turning Nigeria to an Island unto itself.

    He said, “Outlawing such a practice has never been done in any part of the world, meaning that no matter how detrimental it may be to our own university system or standard, it has to continue and be embraced by those who can afford it.

    ” What the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly can do and in fact have been doing, is to continue collaborating with the executive and in particular, relevant bodies regulating  our education sector, to put it in proper shape as a way of making our universities more attractive to Nigerians at home and even those abroad.”

  • ASUU: We informed govt of strike since last month

    ASUU: We informed govt of strike since last month

    …Says Babalakin is negotiator, not implementer

     

    National President Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Prof Biodun Ogunyemi has faulted the government’s claim that the union did not give notice of strike.

    Ogunyemi also said the union had no problem with the ongoing negotiation with the Wale Babalakin-led Panel but went on strike based on the Federal Government’s failure to implement already negotiated terms.

    Regarding notice of strike, Ogunyemi said the union had written to the Ministry of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, about the impending strike since last month.

    “What the Labour Minister said I don’t agree with it because we only resumed an action we suspended.  We showed him a letter and he could not dismiss it.  We sent the letter around July 8 or 10.  I will confirm the date,” he said.

    Reacting to Babalakin’s claim that the union acted in bad faith by calling the strike, Ogunyemi said the strike is about issues outside Babalakin’s mandate, explaining that he (Babalakin) was a negotiator not an implementer.

    He said: “The issues Babalakin is handling are issues that cover areas we need to redefine.

    “We have specific issues we have engaged the government on, which it has refused to implement – issues like the unilateral removal of funding for staff schools of federal universities; payment of reduced salaries – we did not bargain for salary cuts; failure to facilitate the release of the license of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO); failure to issue circular for professors who have spent at least 30 years in the university to retire with their salaries for life.

    “Babalakin is mixing up negotiation with implementation.  If government wants to make Babalakin head of the Implementation panel, it should let us know.”

    Ogunyemi said the union is still talking with government to resolve the issues that led to the strike.

  • Forensic audit of N30b given to ASUU coming

    Forensic audit of N30b given to ASUU coming

    Fed Govt says action illegal

    Strike grounds universities

    ASUU’s grouse

    •Non-licensing of the Nigerian Universities Pension Commission (NUPEMCO) to manage contributory pension which has hit over N1b
    •Non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances of N128 billion
    •Non-remission of N880b to upgrade infrastructure of universities since 2013

    UNIVERSITY teachers are likely to return to work soon, going by some steps taken yesterday by the Federal Government.
    •Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige met with representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); and
    •The meeting agreed on the forensic audit of the N30 billion given to ASUU in 2010. There will be monthly remittances while the audit lasts.
    A statement by Samuel Olowookere of the ministry said the meeting would resume today to take a significant step towards a quick resolution of the “total, indefinite and comprehensive” strike and welfare of teachers and funding of university education as contained in the 2009 agreement.
    Said the ministry: “The Minister hence wishes to assure members of ASUU, indeed all Nigerians, that government is already at work to resolve all outstanding issues in line with the resolve of the present administration to cast any form of disruption of universities’ academic calendar into the dust bin of history.”
    The minister had earlier declared that the lecturers breached labour law with the way they declared the strike.
    According to Ngige, there is an ongoing renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU by the Babalakin Committee.
    “The Federal Government set up the Babalakin Committee on 13th Feb. 2017, which is already addressing the issues raised by ASUU.
    “Though the Federal Government did not wish to apportion blame, it is important to note that ASUU did not follow due process in the declaration of the industrial action as it did not give the Federal Government the mandatory 15 days’ notice as contained in the Section 41 of Trade Disputes Act, Cap T8, 2004.
    “In fact, it was on 14th Aug., 2017 that the Office of the Minister received a letter dated 13th Aug. 2017 from ASUU, that is, one full day after it commenced the strike.”
    Olowokere noted that the letter was to inform the Federal Government that ASUU had begun a strike, adding that this is not a declaration of intention to go on strike as contained in the Trade Dispute Act, 2004.
    He said that since the case was being conciliated, it was against the spirit of Social Dialogue and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for ASUU to embark on strike as enunciated in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention.
    “The Federal Government therefore wishes to appeal to ASUU to consider students who are currently writing degree and promotion examinations. Please, call off the strike and return to the negotiation table.’’
    The minister added that the Ministry of Labour and Employment would ensure that a time frame is tied to the negotiations.
    Ngige assured that ASUU that the “Babalakin Committee was ever ready to continue the negotiations, indeed, has all the necessary ingredients for fruitful social dialogue as well as adequate powers to negotiate and make recommendations to the Federal Government”.
    He noted that the ingredients for fruitful social dialogue as well as adequate powers to negotiate and make recommendations to the Federal Government had been put in place.

  • ASUU interrupts research conference at UNILAG

    ASUU interrupts research conference at UNILAG

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter left nothing to chance about its commitment to the strike.

    On Tuesday, the union demonstrated its compliance with the total and indefinite strike when members stormed an ongoing research fair conference by the management during a rally round the campus.

    The lecturers’ songs of solidarity persisted at the closed gate leading to the Multipurpose Hall, venue of the event, for minutes before it was eventually opened.

    The union chairman, Dr. Adelaja Odukoya, who mounted a chair, questioned lecturers for participating in the two-day event during a strike.

    He said: ‘’Comrades, we are here today because we are academic, we are here today because we are scholars and we have to speak truth to power. We are scholars because we are public intellectuals, because we care about the education of the youth and the development of this country. Our union, your union, all of you here are academics. Particularly, lecturers of this university have no business to be here. As we are taking, out union, ASUU, the only union that has fought relentlessly for the upliftment of education, the standard and quality of education in Nigerian universities. Our union have declared strike and you are here doing what? Why are you more catholic than Pope?’’

    He warned the participants, who exhibited their research works, not to return on Wednesday for the second day of the event.

     

  • Government, ASUU meet Thursday on lecturers demands

    Government, ASUU meet Thursday on lecturers demands

    The meeting between leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU ) and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige aimed at prevailing on the striking university lecturers to call off their strike is to resume on Thursday, the Ministry of Labour has said. 

    The decision to resume the meeting was taken on Tuesday after a meeting between the Minister and the leadership of the union at the Minister’s Confernce Room, Federal Secretariat.

    A statement on Tuesday night signed by the Deputy Director Press in the Ministry, Samuel Olowookere said the the Tuesday’s meeting took significant steps towards the quick resolution of the issues raised by ASUU.

    The statement said that the meeting particularly agreed on the  forensic audit of the sum of 30 billion Naira earlier given to ASUU in 2010 and further agreed  on monthly remittances to ASUU while  the audit lasts. 

    “The Minister hence wishes to assure members of ASUU, in deed all Nigerians that government is already at work   to resolve all outstanding  issues in line with the resolve of the present administration to  cast any form of disruption of universities’ academic calendar into the dust bin of history.”

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  • Fed Govt accuses lecturers of bad faith as ASUU begins strike

    Fed Govt accuses lecturers of bad faith as ASUU begins strike

    ‘It’ll be total, comprehensive, indefinite’

    Situation on campuses

    University teachers are set for major strike, it was announced yesterday.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said the strike “will be total, comprehensive and indefinite” to press home lecturers’ demand for improved welfare and working conditions.

    ASUU National President Dr. Biodun Ogunyemi said the union took the decision after a nationwide consultation with its members at an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) on Sunday.

    According to him, there will be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of the union’s branches during the strike.

    He said ASUU must make the Federal and state governments to implement the provisions of the 2009 Agreement, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of 2013 and the understanding reached in November 2016 in order to lay the foundation for a university system capable of producing a country of our dream.

    Dr. Ogunyemi said: “The foundation of development of any nation lies on its attention to education. No nation can grow beyond the level of its educational development. Any genuine move to transform Nigeria into an economically viable and politically stable country must begin with a firm commitment to an all-round transformation of the country’s education.

    “ASUU has been vociferous on the primacy of the university education system because it is the repository of ideas for invention, innovation and national transformation.

    “Consequently, based on a nationwide consultation with our members, an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU rose on Saturday, 12th August, 2017 with a resolution to embark on an indefinite strike action starting from Sunday, 13th August, 2017.

    ”The nationwide action is total and comprehensive. During the strike, there shall be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meeting of any kind in any of our branches.

    ”Lastly, we call on all patriots to prevail on owners of public universities to be alive to their responsibilities. Indeed, ASUU struggles should be Nigerians’ struggles.

    The ASUU president also accused the political class of paying lip-service to addressing the rot and decay in Nigeria’s university education.

    According to him, Nigeria is beginning to lose the little gains it had achieved through the struggles of the union, labour movement, the media and other patriotic organisations at salvaging the country’s crisis-ridden public universities.

    ”It is, however, disappointing that despite prime importance of university education, the political class in Nigeria has continued to pay mere lip-service to addressing the rot and decay in the sub-sector.

    ”As things stand, the country is beginning to lose the little gains achieved through the struggles of ASUU, the labour movement, the media and other patriotic organisations at salvaging our crisis-ridden public universities.”

    The Federal Government said yesterday that negotiations were ongoing between it and the union on the issues arising from the 2009 agreement and the MoU of 2013.

    The Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Chinenye Ihuoma, said:

    “If it is on ASUU, just know that the FG/ASUU renegotiation 2009 is ongoing with the government team under the leadership of Dr. B. O Babalakin (SAN).”

    Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu, in January inaugurated a 16-member team to renegotiate the 2009 agreement.

    The committee, headed by  Babalakin, was given the mandate to dialogue with the ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Associated & Allied Institutions (NASU) to ensure sustainable peace and industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.

    The ASUU president said the Wale Babalakin-led committee  lacked the powers to resolve the issue as there were unimplemented items in the 2009 agreement.

    He said government had ignored the system, stressing that the political class had also shifted attention to sending their wards to private universities and universities abroad, leaving public universities to collapse

    ”Among the issues in current disputes involved in the 2009 agreement and 2013 MOU are funding for the revitalisation of public universities and earned academic allowances.

    ”Others include registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), University staff school, fractionalisation and non payment of salaries,’’ Ogunyemi said.

    But the National Parents Teachers Association (NAPTAN) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) faulted the strike. Both organisations said they were not consulted before ASUU declared the strike.

    NAPTAN National President Haruna Danjuma said given the kidnapping of some ASUU members at the University of Maiduguri, the authorities had not done enough to guarantee security of workers and students.

    He said: “Though we were not consulted by ASUU, as parents, we have been in consultation with them to find a lasting solution to their demands.

    “We were shocked by their (ASUU) decision. We parents are not 100 per cent in support of the strike; but in a situation where it involves lives of students and lecturers, we shall not keep our eyes closed.”

    “I understand that students of Bayero State University are meant to start their exams today (yesterday), but with this strike, it no longer looks feasible.

    “As parents, we are concerned about the wellbeing of our children from primary up to university levels.

    “Let government call a roundtable discussion to stop this strike now before things get complicated.”

    CAN National President Rev. Samson Ayokunle said CAN was unhappy about the situation.

    Speaking through his spokesperson Bayo Oladeji, he urged the Federal Government to immediately begin talks with the union.

    He said: “As far as we are concerned, ASUU did not consult us and I do not think they consulted other stakeholders, such as parents and students, before declaring the strike.

    “To us, this is unfortunate. The Federal Government too has not helped matters by playing into their hands. From time to time, we have witnessed situations where ASUU embarks on strikes only for government to beg them to resume with a promise to attend to their demands, but in the end, nothing will happen.

    “Our children are now spending between seven to eight years in universities before they graduate and CAN is not happy about the situation.”

     

  • Students lock down Bayelsa varsity over fees’ hike

    Students lock down Bayelsa varsity over fees’ hike

    The Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, was, Monday, shut down by students following what they described as outrageous increase in all categories of fees in the school.

    The aggrieved students were said to have shut the gate to the main entrance of the school in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw, stopping vehicular movement into the campus.

    The protest, which coincided with an indefinite strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) reportedly, crippled academic and social activities on campus.

    The students were said to be angry over hike in school fees, electronic course registrations and non-inclusion of students’ representation in decision-making.

    The demonstration, which was led by the President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Mr. Kemes Mitin, was said to be peaceful without skirmishes.

    The students lamented that the school authority was gradually turning the state university into a private institution in its quest to raise revenue.

    For instance, they cried out that the electronic registration per course which was hitherto N1000 had been increased to N4200.

    The demonstrators carried placards with messages such as, “NDU is not a private institution”, “we say no to increment of course registration” and “return e-pin for course registration to N1000”.

    Confirming the demonstration, Mitin said the action was to peacefully tell the school management to halt the increase because the students could not afford them.

    On the strike declared by ASUU, the Port-Harcourt Zonal Chairman of the union, Prof. Beke Sese, confirmed that the zone including NDU fully complied with the nationwide action.

    Sese said: “My immediate job is make sure that all chapters join in the strike action.

    We in the Port-Harcourt zone have intermittently warned government in the past of some gross inadequacies in remunerations and infrastructural development of the universities, including non-payment of salaries.

    “Just like the national body said, there shall be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of our branches till government meets the union’s demands.”

     

  • ASUU strike: Unical students call for dialogue

    ASUU strike: Unical students call for dialogue

    The indefinite strike announced by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has taken most students of the University of Calabar unaware, with most of them seeing on campus loitering helplessly.

    Some of the students described the strike action by their lecturers as “sad” and “disappointing.”

    The students said in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that they hope the union and the Federal Government would settle their differences soon.

    Miss Henrietta Udom, a 200 level student told NAN that she was sad about the situation.

    “We are already preparing for our second semester examination before this sudden stop in academic activities, and now nobody knows when the strike will be called off, it’s unfortunate,” she said.

    Another student, Michael Bassey, a final year student, feared that the strike might prolong his graduation.

    “ASUU should always take students’ plights into consideration and consult widely before embarking on strike.

    “Government on the one hand, should know that frequent strike does not augur well for the country’s education sector.

    “May be because many of them have their children overseas, they do not consider some of us here in Nigeria,” he lamented.

    Mr Johnson Ibe, a 300 level student also appealed to both ASUU and the federal government to reach a final resolution on the issues in contention to save the university system from collapse.

    He noted that students and parents were the greatest losers in such strike.

    “Tomorrow people will say that Nigerian graduates are half baked and they forget that, we cannot get the best quality by allowing lecturers to go on strike every now and then,” Ibe said.

  • ASUU begins indefinite strike

    ASUU begins indefinite strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday commenced an indefinite strike to press home lecturers’ demand for improved welfare and working conditions in the universities.

    Details later…

  • ASUU set for strike over 2009 deal

    ASUU set for strike over 2009 deal

    University teachers are set for another strike over the controversial 2009 agreement they reached with the Federal Government among other issues.

    A meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of ASUU will hold today in Abuja ahead of the action.

    Yesterday, all chapters of the union nationwide held a congress as directed by its national body to decide whether or not to go ahead with the planned strike.

    The options given to them are: Whether it should be total and indefinite strike, one month strike, one week notice, and no strike at all.

    This followed the directive sent to branches by ASUU National President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi as he was mandated by the NEC meeting held at the Nasarawa State University (NSU).

    Chairman ASUU-Lagos State University (LASU) Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewunmi said yesterday that the chapter resolved in favour of “total and indefinite strike”.

    In August last year, the union threatened strike over the government’s failure to implement the 2009 agreement.

    Coordinator of ASUU (Lagos Zone) Prof Olusoji Sowande, said the union was tired because efforts to get the agreement honoured were fruitless.

    The union listed some of the unresolved issues as: Breach of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 2009 FG/ASUU Agreement on financing of state universities; breach of the conditions of service; refusal to honour the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and re -negotiation of the agreement.

    In January, ASUU staged a one-week warning strike.

    Union officials said the Federal Government is owing universities over N880 billion in intervention fund.

    Other issues according to ASUU oficials are: The Federal Government’s foot-dragging over ‘funds for the revitilisation of public universities, non-release of NUPEMCO operational licence, non-payment of earned academic allowances, payment of fractions/non-payment of salaries, retired professors and their salaries and university staff schools’.

    The official said ASUU  explored all channels to make the Federal Government see reasons but said: “It seems the Federal Government is more concerned with buying exotic vehicles for the National Assembly while public education and lecturers continue to suffer owing to dilapidated infrastructure.”

    He said the union was angry at the failure of the Federal Government to release the operational licence for the union’s pension managers after collecting N1 billion  since two years ago.

    “Till date the government is owing the intervention funds to the tune of N880 billion. When we approached them for licensing of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), they asked us to go and bring registration fee, which is supposed to be N150million. Till date, we have paid government N1 billion and our money has been with them for two years and they are not saying anything.

     None of this pension administrators can fulfill the University Miscellaneous Act which says university professors must retire with their full money. The money must have been invested and yielding interest for somebody. We are demanding our licence and funding of public universities.”