The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUU

  • Return to negotiation table, ASUU tells Gov Bello

    Return to negotiation table, ASUU tells Gov Bello

    • Says arrogance does not resolve crises

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) wants the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello to return to the negotiating table to resolve the crisis between the state government and striking lecturers of the state owned University, saying thuggery, arrogance and gangsterism have never been used resolve crises.

    The union also wants the governor to take a cue from his colleagues in Benue, Nasarawa and Niger states who have through dialogue constructively engaged ASUU and are forging ahead with peace, progress and development of their various universities.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Coordinator of the Abuja zone of the union, Dr. T.D Legi called on well meaning Nigerians, traditional rulers and religious leaders to prevail on Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state to allow the voice of reason to dictate to him what to do in the face off with academic staff o the state owned university, reminding him that he lacked the legal power to proscribe the union.

    The union reminded the governor that international convention on the right to freedom of association and to freely form and belong to trade union has been domesticated by the Nigerian constitution, pointing out that his action prescribing the Kogi State University chapter of the union was a clear violation of his oath of office.

    He said the governor lied when he told the world that he has paid 90 percent of the salaries of the lecturers, adding that it was unfortunate that the office of the governor could embark on telling lies on such matters.

    Legi said the situation in the institution has become worse since the assumption of office of the current governor, pointing out that the majority of the facilities in the institution were provided either by TETFund or through the NEEDS Assessment which the same union he wants to decapitate fought for.

    He said “the concern and seeming burden of the Kogi state government is only the recurrent expenditure since the university authority is relying fully on intervention fund from TETFund an NEEDS Assessment for capital grants. Rather than being alive to its duties and responsibilities, the state government has starved the university of funds and in fact to the extent that the university is notorious for irregular payment of salaries. Allowances and other entitlements to its employees. 

    “This situation became exacerbated during the tenure of the delinquent, youthful and accidental governor of the state, Yahaya Bello who, in the pretext of staff verification denied academic staff of the university their salaries and other entitlement. This action of the governor has completely thrown the university into the darkness it is currently witnessing.

    “The government of Kogi state claimed it has paid all outstanding salaries of staff of the university, whether cleared or uncleared in questionable staff verification exercise. That claim is far from the truth. Some employees of the university have not been paid salaries for over a year and these people are humans with defendants to cater for. If is, therefore, demeaning for the office of the governor to make statements that are not factual, intended to mislead the unsuspecting public.

    “In a display of crass ignorance, Yahaya Bello through youth youthful exuberance made a proclamation recently about purported proscription of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Kogi state branch. 

    “Let it be known that Academic staff of KSU have the right to associate and form unions. This right is clearly enshrined in the International Labour Convention on freedom of association and the protection of right to organize, which has been duly ratified by Nigeria.”

    He said further that in ILO convention 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organise, it is clearly stated that workers shall have the right to organise and form trade unions, a provison which has been ratified and domesticated by the 1999 Constitution.

    Lagi lamented that Yahaya Bello swore on his honour to uphold and defend the Constitution, but unfortunately, his action with respect to the Academic Staff in Kogi state university, he is in clear violation of the Constitution.

    He said “ASUU is an Organisation of intellectuals and would not want to bring itself low to the level of childishness that the governor of Kogi state is exhibiting on a daily basis. ASUU as a responsible union which believes in respect for the rule of law and orderliness hereby calls on well meaning Nigerians, traditional rulers, religious leaders to prevail on Yahaya Bello to allow the voice of reason to dictate for him and do the needful.

    “Yahaya Bello should be told that thuggery, arrogance and gangsterism have never and can never resolve crises, rather dialogue had and still remain the only potent way to go about this. 

    “He should be told to learn from the governors of Benue, Nasarawa and Niger states who have through dialogue constructively engaged ASUU and are forging ahead with peace, progress and development of their various universities.”

  • SSANU seeks adequate funding of Adamawa varsity

    SSANU seeks adequate funding of Adamawa varsity

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has called for adequate funding of Adamawa State University Mubi to tackle the myriads of problems facing the institution.

    The SSANU Chairman of the university, James Fwa, said the staff would not have gone on strike if the state government was committed to sustained funding of the institution.

    Fwa said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Yola that the recent appointment of Prof. Kaletepwa Farauta as Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution would only change things if funds were provided for him to perform optimally.

    “If the former vice chancellor had sufficient fund to run the institution, we wouldn’t have been on strike,” he stressed.

    The chairman urged the government to honour its  agreement with the association on  adequate funding and allowing the acting vice chancellor to follow due process in the appointment of the university’s  principal officers.

    “We will not accept any reappointment of any member of the dissolved university top management by the state government.

    “The acting vice chancellor must be given  the time to stabilise the university and advertise the top management jobs as it is contained in the law.

    “We shall accept any former member of the management who would emerge through due process.

    “We will also not accept any appointment of an acting bursa from the office of the Accountant-General, our bursary department equally has qualified hands that can manage the office in the interim,” he said.

    NAN recalls that the SSANU and two other unions within the university have been on an indefinite strike over alleged breach of agreement the government had with them.

    The unions have been agitating for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, promotion, payment of pension benefits to retirees among others.

    The state government had dissolved the university governing council and its management in line with part of the unions demands.

    The unions, with the exception of ASUU, have been on strike since July 26

  • NAN retracts story, suspends three editorial staff

    NAN retracts story, suspends three editorial staff

    The management of the News Agency of Nigeria has retracted a story published 26 June on alleged increase in school fees in Federal, state and private universities.

    The story, titled: “38 Nigerian Universities increase tuition fees – ASUU“, was credited to Dr Deji Omole, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has carried out checks on the story and discovered that standard editorial procedures were not followed to verify its authenticity.

    The alleged press statement was found to have been mailed to a staff of the Agency who passed it on for publication. The statement was utterly false.

    The story was also inadvertently transmitted by NAN after failing integrity tests.

    Three senior editorial staff involved in the processing of the story have been suspended without pay by management, to serve as a warning that the agency will not tolerate breaches of its editorial integrity.

    “This is to assure our numerous clients that NAN will continue to maintain its policy of credibility, fairness, justice and not compromise its professional ethics,’’ management said today.

    NAN Management will send a letter of apology to Dr Omole.

    NAN Management regretted the story and has apologised to its subscribers. It has also enjoined subscribers to trash the story from their websites

  • NLC to Kogi Gov: You lack power to ban ASUU

    NLC to Kogi Gov: You lack power to ban ASUU

    THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has told Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello that he lacked the constitutional power to ban the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the state.
    It described the governor’s action as a representation of the height of impunity and high-handedness that has, unfortunately characterized governance in the state since his assumption of office.
    Reacting to the recent banning of ASUU in the state owned university, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba asked the governor to immediately retrace his steps in the interest of industrial peace and refrain from giving the country a bad name in the comity of nation.
    Wabba who is a Governing Board member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said the action of the governor runs contrary to both national and international laws and conventions, adding that he Congress may be forced to report the state to the ILO if what he described as provocation continues.
    In a letter to the governor, Wabba said “We convey to you the compliments of the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and equally register our protest against your purported ban of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kogi State Branch as a result of their seven-month strike in protest against unpaid salaries, allowances and pensions.
    “This rather hasty and ill-advised action contradicts all known and extant national and international laws and conventions, as the Governor has no right to ban a Union. Trade Unions as independent workers organisations are neither under the control of the state government nor registered by it.
    “According to ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, which has been duly ratified by the country, workers shall have the right to organise and form trade unions, and “public authorities shall refrain from any interference which would restrict this right or impede the lawful exercise thereof”, and the unions “shall not be liable to be dissolved or suspended by administrative authority.”
    “This Convention is not only reinforced by ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, but buttressed and domesticated by the 1999 Constitution which states unequivocally in Section 40 that every person shall not only be entitled to freely assemble or associate, but in particular, shall “freely form or belong to trade unions and other associations for the protection of his interests”
    “The contravention of these laws by Your Excellency is not only a violation of ILO Conventions and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but an abuse of the fundamental human rights of the lecturers in Kogi State.
    “Your action is also a representation of the height of impunity and high-handedness that has, unfortunately characterized governance in Kogi State since your assumption of office.
    “Even in the dark days of the military when such obnoxious actions were attempted against the unions, the Juntas had to reverse themselves in compliance with International Conventions and laws of the land.
    “We therefore call on you to allow reason and sound judgement to prevail as well as desist from these ill-advised and thoughtless steps that would make the country a laughing stock in the comity of nations.
    “Coupled with this, we are afraid to state that such precipitate actions are capable of exacerbating the already fragile social and industrial relations atmosphere in the state. And although we do not intend a threat, the non-reversal of this abhorrent and repugnant decision will inevitably provoke a serious national action in the state.
    “While hoping our advice meets your kind consideration, please, accept our goodwill and warmest regards. This letter is copied to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment and other relevant Government agencies for appropriate action.
    “And please note that we may be compelled to register a formal complaint with the International Labour Organisation as required by the law should this provocation continue.”

  • ASUU to Ajimobi: stop blackmail with LAUTECH audit

    ASUU to Ajimobi: stop blackmail with LAUTECH audit

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) has urged Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi to stop “blackmailing” the union over the purported forensic audit of the university.

    Last week, the governor ordered the reopening of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education and pleaded with LAUTECH stakeholders to allow auditors to peruse the records of the institution.

    He said this would pave the way for the reopening of the institution.

    But yesterday, ASUU challenged the governor to show documentary and other evidences on how the union allegedly impeded the audit.

    In a statement by its Chairman and Secretary, Drs Biodun Olaniran and Toyin Abegunrin, ASUU said it had nothing to do with the audit and could not impede the audit.

    In the statement, titled: Auditing LAUTECH: ASUU Sets the Record Straight, the union asked the state government to stop what it called cheap blackmail and focus its attention on how LAUTECH could benefit from the Paris Club fund refund the Federal Government just released to the state.

    LAUTECH’s ASUU described The Paris Club refund as a golden opportunity for the government to bail out the institution before it is swallowed by contractual commitment.

    The statement said: “For the umpteenth time, let us reiterate the fact that ASUU has nothing to do with audit and, therefore, cannot stand in the way of the exercise. If the governor of Oyo State has any evidence to the contrary, we challenge him to come to the public domain and state what role ASUU has to play in the audit.

  • Kogi ASUU vows to continue strike

    Kogi ASUU vows to continue strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kogi State University chapter, said on Thursday it would continue with the seven months strike despite Wednesday’s prescription of the union by Governor Yahaya Bello.

    Governor Bello had announced the union’s proscription following the varsity teachers’ refusal to suspend the strike.

    The Acting Chairman of ASUU in KSU, Dr. Daniel Aina, said at a press briefing held at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) secretariat in Lokoja, they were unperturbed by the sack threat issued by the governor.

    Governor Bello had threatened to sack the lecturers if they continue with the strike.

     

  • ASUU hijacked by politicians – Kogi governor

    ASUU hijacked by politicians – Kogi governor

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday said the proscribed Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Kogi State University (KSU), Anyigba, has been behaving like a political party in opposition in the state.

    The governor proscribed the union on Wednesday for failing to suspend its seven months strike after the government reportedly met 90 per cent of its demands.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) meeting held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the early hours of Thursday, Bello said the proscription is an inevitable surgical operation to develop education in the state.

    He said: “It is more or less a comatose institution. And in a bid to resuscitate it, we need to carry out certain surgical operation in order to make educational sector in Kogi State healthy. And education is one of the focal points of our administration. We did the screening exercise and several other things.

    “Now, ASUU came up with several other bodies with certain demands. Some pre-dated my administration and to the best of our judgement as an administration we were able to meet up to 90 per cent of these demands. And in a collective bargain, both parties should shift ground.

    “And the way and manner ASUU Kogi State Chapter was going about it, it is more or less like a political party that was in opposition. Apparently, there are certain forces from certain areas that were pushing. However, that wouldn’t be my concern.

    “But my concern particularly is that certain amount of demands that were put forward, among which is salaries, had been paid fully. And the institution has been on strike for almost seven months now.

    “Now, the question is government owes you seven months, government has paid you seven months among other demands. But there is one important thing that you are owing the critical stakeholders in education that you can never pay back, which is the time of the children, the time of our young ones, the time of the students that have been wasted that you can never give back.

    “I appealed to them to return back on or before the end of this month and that we will pay all outstanding arrears. Other institutions resumed. But what is more amazing and disturbing is that in the course of interacting with them, in the presence of all stakeholders including the Attah of Igala, the Acting Chairman of ASUU made a remark that even if we meet 100 per cent demand of ASUU, we only succeeded in minimizing the incidence of strike in the institution, meaning he went further to explain that if everything is normal in the institution and the National body of ASUU desire to on strike for whatever reason, ASUU- KSU will join the strike action.

    “And I think that is most irresponsible and they are not sensitive to the plight of parents, the students and even the future of the young ones.”

  • Kogi proscribes ASUU

    Kogi proscribes ASUU

    The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday announced the proscription of the state chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with immediate effect.

    The governor announced the proscription on Wednesday after an emergency state Executive Council meeting.

    The Acting Chairman of ASUU, Kogi State University chapter, Dr. Daniel Aina, had earlier sent notice of postponement of a press conference slated for the union’s secretariat in Ayingba to Thursday.

    Governor Bello said the decision to proscribe the union became necessary following the university teachers’ resolve to continue their six months strike.

    He said: “Throughout last week, I undertook a tour of the tertiary institutions in Kogi State, with a view to having first- hand information about the problems in the schools. But while others have since resumed, lecturers in Kogi State University have refused to call off their strike.

    “As a government, we have fulfilled over 90 percent of their demand and have even gone a step further to pay all outstanding salaries of both cleared and uncleared staff including those that had committed one crime or the other.”

     

     

  • Paris Club refund windfall excites labour, ASUU, others

    Paris Club refund windfall excites labour, ASUU, others

    The organised labour will monitor the application of the N243 billion Paris Club refund released by the Federal Government to the states. Governors must play by the rules, it warns. TOBA AGBOOLA and TONY AKOWE report. 

    THERE was excitement in the camps of the organised labour and some varsity teachers yesterday. It was over the release of N243 billion the 36 states by the Federal Government as the second tranche of the London-Paris Club loan refund.

    They warned state governors against misapplying the cash.

    The workers’ unions warned the states government against diverting the windfall, threatening to unleash the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on erring governors.

    The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Kaigama, told The Nation  that the states should use the their shares of the refund to settle the outstanding allowances, salaries and pensions.

    He promised to mobilise union members against any abuse by states’ chief executives, saying that the organised labour would team up with the anti-graft agencies to guard against abuse.

    He said: “They should first of all settle the outstanding allowances, salaries, pension among others. The governors should do that or otherwise they will see the other side of the labour because it will not be like the first one.

    “This time around, we’ll mobolise our members and we will involve the EFCC and the ICPC in monitoring how the states apply the funds.’’

    The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Ayuba Wabba said the union will properly monitor the funds this time around.

    He alleged that some state governments failed to use the first tranche of the refund to pay salaries or to offset arrears of pension deductions. He said the abuse would not be allowed to be repeated.

    Wabba said: ‘’Many of the states diverted the first bailout meant to pay outstanding salaries and pension to other things, and this is why we are in the present situation.

    “We have involved the anti-corruption agencies. From the first bailout, we partnered the ICPC to monitor the funds and we expect this to continue. Our directive to the state councils of the NLC is to also monitor the funds and ensure that the payment of arrears of salaries and pensions take priority.”

    The Congress’ General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, told The Nation that the right thing for the state governors owing workers would be to use the money to pay up.

    According to him, the NLC would never shy away from engaging the governors on the welfare of workers.

    Ozo-Eson said: “As you are aware, we have been engaging the governors on the welfare of workers and we take each state based on their peculiarities. Last week, we engaged the Rivers State government because of pension-related matters and we will continue to engage them.

    “With or without Paris Club refund, it is the responsibility of the governors to pay the salaries and allowances as well as pension of workers. Where they renege in doing that, we engage them and where they refused, we’ll encourage the workers in that state to declare industrial action.

    “So, our position remain the same and it has not changed. The governors should pay what they owe to the workers and now that they have more money, they should honour their obligations and pay the workers’  entitlements.”

     

  • ASUU raises alarm on ‘plan’ to sack members in UNILORIN

    ASUU raises alarm on ‘plan’ to sack members in UNILORIN

    The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised alarm on an alleged move by the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Governing Council to terminate the appointments of its top members. The union said its members, who blew the whistle to expose alleged unwholesome practices in the school, were being subjected to official victimisation by the school management, noting that UNILORIN has become a lawless body that shows no regard for rule of law.

    ASUU fingered the outgoing UNILORIN Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, as the mastermind of the plot, pointing out that the lecturers’ body would not be suppressed in exposing the Ambali’s “shady dealings” despite victimisation against its members.

    In a statement titled: Planned sack of ASUU whistle blowers in UNILORIN by Governing Council, signed by the Zonal Coordinator, Dr Ade Adejumo, ASUU urged the UNILORIN Governing Council chairman, Dr. Jubril Oyekan, to resist being dragged into the crisis, adding that effort should be made to rescue the school from sliding further into infamy.

    It named the officials as the ASUU chairman in UNILORIN, Dr. Kolawole Afolayan, and Secretary, Dr. Solomon Oyelekan, who were suspended.

    ASUU urged the Governing Council members not to bow to the pressure to terminate the appointments of the affected staff. The lecturers’ body called on the Federal Government and supervising agencies to prevail on the school to stop the “continuous harassment of critical voices of dissent” in the university.