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Tag: ASUU

  • ASUU flays cut in varsities’ allocations

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abuja Zone, has expressed displeasure at the cut in allocation for personnel expenditure to federal universities by the Federal Government.

    Its Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Suleiman Muhammed, who briefed reporters yesterday in Abuja, said the cut had adversely affected the union.

    He said the zone comprised University of Abuja, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nasarawa State University, Keffi and Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai .

    Muhammed said authorities, such as the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office, seemed not to understand how the university system work.

    “With deep concern, ASUU-Abuja Zone wishes to bring to the notice of the public the unilateral drastic cut by the Federal Government in the personnel expenditure allocations to federal universities.

    “This ugly phenomenon began in December 2015. One of the federal universities, which received allocation of a little over N336 million in December 2015, has consistently received about N308 million for January through March, 2016,’’ he said.

    The coordinator said the Federal Government could not unilaterally cut workers’ pay, being a signatory to most International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

    He said state governments, and proprietors of state universities, were waiting to copy the Federal Government.

  • ASUU wants indicted leaders jailed

    ASUU wants indicted leaders jailed

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday urged the Federal Government to recover taxes invaded by  past and serving public officials named in the Panama Papers.

    Its President Nasir Isa, who addressed reporters on the state of the nation yesterday in Abuja, called on the government to ensure that indicted Nigerians were investigated and if found guilty, jailed.

    He said: “If you catch somebody invading tax, you know what to do. In other countries, what is done is that you pay taxes that you failed to pay and then there is further financial punishment and apart from that, you also go to jail.

    “No matter how powerful you are, there is no exception. So, if anybody is part of this thing, I think the right thing should be done.”

     

  • Will ASUU have its way in private varsities?

    Will ASUU have its way in private varsities?

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is fighting to bring private universities under its umbrella to stop what it calls “exploitation” of teachers. But the universities are not ready to play ball. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, OLUWATOYIN ADELEYE AND MOJISOLA CLEMENT-OMOBOWALE report

    The battle did not start today. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has for long tried to bring private universities under its wing, to no avail. Now, ASUU is determined to achieve its aim to save teachers, whose rights, it claimed are being trampled upon by their employers.

    ASUU National President Dr Nasir Isa Fagge accused private universities of compromising standards; denying their workers salaries and other academic benefits. Many of them, he claimed, have no staff development programme, adding that they poach intellectuals who have been developed through public fund.

    Fagge said: “One thing I know is that private universities are not operating in tune with the Constitution which ensures for every citizen a right to freedom of association. Many private universities deny their staff that fundamental right. ASUU is willing to challenge this and get this addressed in favour of workers in private universities. I also know that private universities rely to a large extent on manpower developed using public resources. Most of them do not have effective staff development and as such there is a dearth of intellectuals in private universities which rely on public universities for manpower.”

    Fagge put part of the blame on the National Universities Commission (NUC) which he accused of not committing prospective private university operators to staff development and welfare before licencing them.

    “There is a regulatory body (NUC) which I do not know what they are doing about private universities.

    “NUC should not be granting licences to private universities unless they find evidence that they have effective staff development programmes so that they don’t parasite on the manpower that have been developed through public resources,” Fagge said.

    The universities also fought back, saying ASUU cannot on that account, impose itself on them.

    Fagge recalled that private university was the initiative of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, alleging that it was designed to kill ASUU, but the idea boomeranged.

    “The genesis of private university started with former President Obasanjo who felt ASUU was a snake and therefore needed to be killed  and its pieces distributed across the country,” Fagge claimed, adding:

    “When Obasanjo failed to do that, he decided to grant licence to private universities. All these measures are in tune with the privatisation syndrome which ASUU was against and has recently been confirmed as a scam by the National Assembly committee that investigated the privatisation exercise.

    “Of recent, they (private universities) are agitating that they also want to benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) which is public money.  I do not see where a private investor establishes a private business and expects government to pump public money into it.

    “Private universities were actually designed to take over public universities. Unfortunately, the investors initially thought along that line; but since that is not forthcoming, many of them are now face to face with reality.  Most of them are just moving on collecting money and commercialising education and then giving students results. We now see many first class graduates being produced by them annually compared to public universities; that is enough to show you whether things are being done correctly or not.

     

    Our fate, by teachers

    A former university teacher, in Ogun State sacked alongside 15 others last August told The Nation how the founder/Chancellor has been using divide-and-rule to suppress workers’ right.  The most disturbing aspect, said the teacher, who claimed he was owed 10 months salary arrears before his sack, added that most workers in the institution numbering about 70 are being owed.

    “The founder has this fraudulent way of paying us,” the source said.

    “For instance if he owes about 10 months arrears, he can choose to pay me half the month of June, and then another colleague half of August salary. If he chooses to pay in full, it cannot be the same month for everybody. When we saw the hand writing on the wall, some of us wanted to raise the alarm; but others feared consistent threat of job loss by management if we ever spilled the beans,” he added.

    Human capacity development in the university is also nil, said another source from the institution.

    “There is nothing like grant to go for seminars or conferences. Even if you want to sponsor yourself there is no way you would be allowed because of the workload. Sometimes it is the Vice Chancellor (VC) that comes to our aid by pleading on our behalf.

    “For instance, we have about 25 students in our department. We are only three and yet each of us teaches up to eight courses a week, including some courses outside our department like GNS which is a unit course on its own. The founder, rather than employ more, decided to circumvent standard.

    “Our office is a makeshift and two of us have to cram ourselves in the dingy room,” said another source from a private university in Oyo State.

    “It was when the NUC accreditation team was coming that the proprietor hurriedly patched up some of the buildings to make them look a bit presentable. In fact I remember that two days before NUC arrival, two of us hurriedly travelled to Ife (OAU) to purchase some books for certain departments which is also a prerequisite for accreditation.”

    Prof Edmund Bamiro, Dean, College of Humanities, Redeemers University said it all borders on the statutes of each university:

    He said: “For now, it is almost impossible for such a union to be formed, and this has to do with the statutes that establish the universities. It is until those statutes are changed by the proprietors or founders of the universities that those unions can be established. The way the laws are structured now, unions would not be allowed in private universities. However, this would be a welcome development as people would be able to bargain for certain things.”

    Dr Pius Adebisi a part-time Political Science teacher at Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) and Registrar of Federal College of Agriculture, Akure said:

    “The first thing is that constitutionally, there is freedom of association. So I want to argue that lecturers in private universities, like all other human beings in Nigeria, should enjoy that freedom without limitation. The union, even in private universities, would be of benefit to the system. I have done research on trade unions and management of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and I discovered that even trade unions can contribute a lot to the management of tertiary institutions. The unions can be used to resolve issues amicably, to communicate effectively between management and members of the staff at large and even to enforce discipline among staff, and attract development to universities.

     

    What the law says

    A lawyer and expert in labour law, Daniel Onwe, told The Nation  that the Constitution provides that workers have the right to freedom of association. Owen explained that the provision is in accordance with International Labour Organisation (ILO) rules.

    “Even the fact that they (private universities) are privately owned does not mean they are still not bound by the Constitution. Whenever there is a wrong; there must also be a remedy, “Onwe said.

    When told that by virtue of the appointment letters, workers in private universities are forbidden from participating in any association, Onwe responded:

    “Yes! Those limitations may be in their condition of service. Truth however is that the Constitution is supreme and superior to any other law and agreement  such that if any law is found to be inconsistent with the federal law, the provision of the federal law will prevail.

    “But it also calls for some level of boldness of workers in those institutions. If you don’t rise to enforce those laws, it may not be easy.  It’s a price one has to pay because freedom does not come without a price.”

     

    ‘Workers not caged’

    The Chairman of Committee of Vice Chancellors of Private Universities, Prof Isaac Adeyemi, absolved the institutions  of caging their workers. According to him, the fact that private universities don’t have unions does not mean there are no avenues provided for them by management to register their grievances.

    “Of course we know all private universities do not join unions; however at individual university level, we create avenues through which workers can air their views,” Adeyemi told our reporter on phone.

    He continued: “The first avenue is the Senate. The second is the Congregation in which all members of the staff in the university participate, while the third is the Expanded Management Meeting. At individual university, these meetings are held quarterly or at different times.

    “Besides, there is a direct contact between the vice chancellor and workers. This is possible because staff strength in private universities is not as large as public institutions. So it gives room for cross fertilisation of ideas.

    Adeyemi asked workers who complian that they are not granted research funds to revisit their condition first, before raising eyebrows.

    Adeyemi, who is the Vice chancellor of Bells University of Technology in Ogun State, said prospective workers in private universities could read and understand the condition of service, and can also ask question on any grey area, adding that once they sign the document, they have no ground for complaint any longer.

    Adeyemi said public universities were once in private universities’ shoes until the arrival of TETfund, which most workers in public universities now tap for research grants, seminars and infrastructures, among others.

    “I must acknowledge the fact that some but not all private universities owe their workers, while some are struggling to pay.  But let me also add that this is not intentioned. We have our challenges especially in this current harsh economic climate.

    “People also claim that our fees are high but it may interest you that some of our students also owe fees.  We spend a huge sum on power, security and even maintenance and other expenses. On the average, this may take us up to 15 years or more to fully normalise those challenges. We are addressing the issue among ourselves; but that is not to say ASUU can come and force their way on us. I will also advise operators of private universities to be open to their workers and engage them whenever they are in any financial predicament. A worker’s idea or suggestion could get them out of it, who knows?”

     

    NUC’s position

    The NUC denied shielding private universities that breach their workers’ rights.

    NUC Director of Information Mr Ibrahim Yakassi said workers in private universities are also intellectuals who know their rights, adding that they do not need NUC to tell them what is right or wrong.

    “There is a law and it is the general law that says: if you employ certain number of people in an organisation, they are free to have an association. If their employer rejects the idea, they can then go to court to enforce it. That is not the business of NUC. That law is general and must be respected.

    “You said some of those workers are being owed salary arrears, how would we know if nobody comes forward to tell us? Maybe they love to keep silent and suffer. As far as NUC is concerned, we have not heard cases of workers coming to NUC to complain that their right of association is being challenged or they are being owed salary arrears. So to us, all these are mere allegations.

    “If those allegations get to us, I can assure you that NUC would act. Don’t forget that some of these workers also signed the condition of service of their employers and therefore should know the conditional ties in the document before signing them.”

     

  • ASUU to National Assembly: reduce JAMB’s powers

    ASUU to National Assembly: reduce JAMB’s powers

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the National Assembly to restrict the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to the conduct of examination.

    It said the power granted JAMB to determine who gets admission into university was at variance with university’s autonomy.

    The union urged the National Assembly to revisit the proposal sent to it for the review of the Act setting up JAMB.

    ASUU’s National President Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, who spoke to The Nation, frowned at the series of irregularities that characterised the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    Fagge said the law of every university empowers its Senate to determine whom to admit, and not JAMB.

    The outgoing ASUU president lamented that but for some interest, the proposal would have sailed through.

    He said: “The union in the 2006-2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement observed that there is anomaly in JAMB. ASUU maintains that JAMB does not have the right to dictate to universities, who should be offered admission.

    “Our position is that JAMB should conduct the examination and results should be passed to universities, which determine which candidate is ideal for admission. ASUU insisted it is the responsibility of the university senate as enshrined in their laws to decide who is qualified to be a student in that university.

    “JAMB is violating universities’ autonomy by insisting it would determine who goes into which university. On the basis of that, ASUU was able to agree with the government on the need to review the Act setting up JAMB.  With all sense of modesty, we are able to draft a proposal for the review of JAMB and another proposal for the Bill on NUC (National Universities Commission) Act, and a bill for the National Minimum Standard Act.

    “These have been in the National Assembly and ASUU has been pursuing this to happen, but it has not probably because there are interests. However, we are saying we shall not give up on this.”

    Fagge described JAMB’s new multiple choice system, in which candidates are given an option of two universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, as against the dictates of the National Policy on Education.

    “To start with,” Fagge said, “that examination is not in tune with the National Policy on Education. We are talking of different levels of manpower- low, medium, high and then you bring all, irrespective of their interest and expected professionalism associated with what they are going to undertake, to sit for the examination. There may be somebody who though is very good, but prefers other institution than universities, maybe a college of education because he wants to be a teacher.

    “Now, you are forcing him to go to a university. Forget about this right to choose between universities, polytechnics and colleges as reviewed by JAMB. The fact remains that it is expected that whoever performs very high should automatically go to universities whether he is interested in universities or not.

    “We faulted UTME during a presentation by ASUU which I led as the president.  At present, UTME is becoming problematic and universities are finding some who are not interested in coming to university system.

    “To add more salt into the injury, some candidates have high marks in UTME but when you subject them to the nitty-gritty of classroom work, at the end, many of them fall into probation because they could not score a CGPA of 1.”

  • Fuel scarcity is sabotage – ASUU

    Fuel scarcity is sabotage – ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the persistence fuel scarcity faced by Nigerians is part of the ongoing sabotage in the political system.
    ‎
    Dr Nasir Fagge, the national president of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos after paying a courtesy visit to Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, the Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

    Fagge alleged that the fuel scarcity was created by some ‎group of people, who were used to stealing public funds.

    He said the saboteurs created the scarcity to build a brick wall for the present administration, for failing to pay subsidy on fuel.

    According to him, the government is supposed to consider and analyse all the problems that may arise before removing the subsidy.

    “All the problems arising now should have been envisaged and addressed before removing the subsidy.

    “Government is supposed to know that some people will try to frustrate its effort and should have pre-empt that,’’ he said.
    ‎
    According to the ASUU president, it is also wrong for political office holders to make unfulfilled promises to Nigerians about when the fuel scarcity will end.

    He advised government officials to always inform the citizens about the true situation of an issue‎ on regular basis, rather than toying with their emotions, only to apologise later.

    “How will a government official utter conflicting statements that the fuel scarcity will be resolved on April 7, but later said it will be in the second week in April. That is unfair.

    “Government officials should be held responsible for their promises and anyone who makes promise and failed to fulfill it should be eased out of the system,’’ he ‎said.
    ‎
    The ASUU president ‎ called on President Muhammadu Buhari, who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to urgently save Nigerians from the current hardship the fuel scarcity had brought upon them.

     

  • TSA crippling varsities’ operation, says ASUU

    TSA crippling varsities’ operation, says ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to reconsider the inclusion of universities in the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

       It said the accounting system has crippled the nation’s educational institutions.

    ASUU said it made the request for the second time because it would not wish to be pushed to the wall before reacting.

    Its coordinator, Lagos Zone, Dr. Adesola Nasir, who spoke at a news conference at the Lagos State University (LASU), said besides hampering the effective functioning of universities, TSA was capable of eroding their autonomy.

    He said: “We, however, observed that the procedure would introduce heavy encumbrance into the functioning of the universities and may indeed become a burden on the system due to its peculiarities. We are categorical that the policy would rob the university of the opportunity of short, medium and long-term planning in effort to deliver on the objective.”

    Nasir said TSA has led to a scenario where Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, releases less of what is required for the payment of teachers and workers as well as for infrastructural development and other needs.

    According to the union leader, one of the fundamental challenges was the frustration being experienced in funding research.

    He added that local funds were trapped and those from international donor agencies were also made unavailable by bottleneck created by TSA.

    For instance, he said at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, fund administered by the institution through an international donor for certain programmes for five African countries, “is also trapped owing to TSA”.

    The ASUU Zonal Coordinator added: “There are similar developments at the University of Lagos. At this rate, Nigerian universities and researchers may be blacklisted. This development would also frustrate access to international grants.

    ASUU considers this as a direct attack on the running of universities.”

    Nasir noted that the development was distracting universities from renewed effort to place them in the tier of global visibility.

    The union leader urged the public to prevail on the Federal Government to rescind the decision on universities joining the TSA.

    Chairman of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Dr. Deji Agbooade said since last May, the state government paid them half salary, adding that his colleagues have been collecting salaries till dated through other sources from the university.

    Other branch chairmen lamented that most governments at the state levels were showing signs of unwillingness to improve funding to their universities.

  • OAU VC: Unions battle ASUU

    OAU VC: Unions battle ASUU

    TeACHERS  and workers of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of working with the Governing Council to influence the choice of a VC for the institution.

    Both the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and allied institutions (NASU), in a statement by OAU’s SSANU’s Chair Ademola Oketunde and his NASU counterpart, Wole Odewumi in Ibadan, said a newspaper publication of March 24, 2016, by OAU’s ASUU’s Chair Dr Caleb Aborisade claimed that the appointment of a VC fell within the purview of the Governing Council.

    The statement reads:” On March 24, 2016, at 6.30 am, the OAU ASUU chair telephoned the SSANU chair informing him about a publication in the  Nigerian Tribune: “Appointment of VC: OAU ASUU disagrees with NASU, SSANU”, and stated that ‘’worried by the agitation by NASU and SSANU for input into the process leading to the appointment of the next vice-chancellor, ASUU, in a statement by Dr. Aborisade, faulted the move, saying the appointment of a VC falls within the purview of the Governing Council.

    He dissociated himself from the publication, promising to refute the publication.

    “Much as we would not like to join issues with ASUU, the fact that he has not written a rejoinder as promised necessitates the following response”.

    The unions reiterated that they were only ensuring that the processes of appointing a VC is fair, just and transparent.

    They noted that nine of the 16 members of the Governing Council were members of ASUU, while none is a member of NASU or SSANU.

    It added: ”Hence, ASUU is better positioned to lead other unions in this principled and progressive struggle for a neutral candidate. ASUU chairman about two years ago, was elected, through support and mobilisation by the university administration; this was repeated at his re-election; hence he acts as a stooge of the authorities and colluding with them to attempt an illegal and unlawful appointment of a VC.

    “He neither cares nor questions why two OAU ASUU aspirants, who applied and were shortlisted in 2011 were illegally not shortlisted this time around. Only NASU and SSANU are engaged in this principled struggle because we believe OAU ASUU under Dr. Aborisade’s leadership had stopped being a principled, credible and progressive union.

    “A publication in The Nation  March 28, 2016: “OAU ASUU to screen candidates for VC”, stated that ASUU would facilitate and organise interaction with the shortlisted aspirants, indicating that it had endorsed the illegal shortlisting by council; This contradicts the earlier publication in which Dr. Aborisade was quoted as saying that the appointment of a VC falls within the purview of council, besides, what purpose will the interaction serve after council unlawfully shortlisted, scored and ranked the aspirants contrary to the stipulated Status and Laws, and without any interaction with them (under Dr. Aborisade’s watchful eyes)?’’

     

    Meanwhile, their preferred aspirant was allegedly awarded a 100 per cent score. Before Dr. Aborisade emerged as chairman (and other unions) used to conduct a referendum for lawfully shortlisted aspirants and send results to council for input (prior to interview, scoring and ranking by the joint Council and Senate Selection Board).Why this too little, too late and non-impact approach by Dr. Aborisade led ASUU?”

    The union said OAU NASU and SSANU will continue to engage in principled, lawful, just and fair struggles in the interest of the University System with or without the support of OAU ASUU Chairman.

     

  • OAU ASUU to screen candidates for VC position

    OAU ASUU to screen candidates for VC position

    To ensure that the best emerges Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife‎, the institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has finalised plans to screen candidates for the position.

    It was learnt that the action was to facilitate and organize interaction with the shortlisted aspirants.

    The tenure of the current occupant, Professor Bamitale Omole, who became VC almost five years ago, expires on June 24th, 2016.

    About 12 professors had applied for the position following an advertorial in the newspapers in December 2015 but the Governing Council has shortlisted ‎6.

    With the setting up of a committee to interact with the shortlisted candidates for the position, the union has endorsed the decisions of the University Governing Council.

    It was gathered that the union, after ‎its congress meeting which took place on March 15, 2016, received reports from some of its members in the Governing Council, and concluded that the University Council acted within its powers in shortlisting candidates for the post of Vice-chancellor of the university

    The union afterward ‎appointed Professor Sat Obiyan, who heads the institution’s Department of Political Science, to head the 5-man screening committee to organize and drive the interaction process.

    Confirming the development, Obiyan explained that it was true that a committee was set up by ASUU-OAU, adding that the committee was already finalizing arrangements for the event which is likely to hold in early April.

     

  • ASUU demands release of kidnapped UI worker

    ASUU demands release of kidnapped UI worker

    The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan (UI), Dr Deji Omole, has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to rescue Dr Beatrice Fabunmi, who was kidnapped in Ondo State.

    Dr Fabunmi is an ASUU member who works at the Kenneth Dike Library in the university.

    She was allegedly kidnapped at Oba-Akoko on her way to her mother in Ibilo, Edo State, last Friday.

    Her husband, Prof Martins Fabunmi, who was also kidnapped, was shot and released.

    The kidnappers are demanding N5million for her release.

    Omole said: “Where will ordinary Nigerians pass that they will be safe?

    “Our roads are death traps and since we cannot afford plane tickets, we endure the hardship only for us to be kidnapped again. This is evil and must be stopped.

    “The Inspector General of Police needs to track down those kidnappers in Ondo State and other adjoining states.

    “We in ASUU are demanding the unconditional release and safe return of one of our own.

    “The state must guarantee the security of its members.

    President Muhammadu Buhari should order security agencies to ensure Dr Fabunmi’s release within 24 hours.”

    Omole added that although the case had been reported to the police, it  was not treated with the  attention it deserves.

    “If ‘big men’ or their children are kidnapped, all the newspapers will be awash with the report but when the ‘poor man’ is kidnapped, he becomes another victim.

    “The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, should step up his act and check this insecurity.

    “The Federal Government must not force Nigerians to rise in self defence, if their security cannot be guaranteed by the state.”

  • ASUU threatens strike over salary shortfall

    ASUU threatens strike over salary shortfall

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern about the continuous release of incomplete salary to public universities.

    The Yola zone of the union, which comprised Adamawa State Univerisity, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Taraba State University, University of Maiduguri and Yobe State University, raised the concern in a statement Tuesday in Yola.

    The statement read by the leader of the zone, Dr Musa Abdullahi, said the development made it impossible for some universities to pay salaries.

    “The Yola zone of ASUU frowns at the posture of government on the release of incomplete salaries to public universities.

    “This ugly trend, which began in November 2015, has continued unabated by the Federal Government.”

    The statement said the development would compel universities to resort to commercial ventures to augment shortfall thereby commercialising university education.

    “Should Nigerian public universities be coerced to begin to raise revenue from within to pay salaries, that will be the end for the education of the children of the masses.

    “Any further shortfall in salary will not be accepted by the union and should the situation persist, then we are not in a position to guarantee industrial harmony,” Abdullahi said.

    He called on government to pay the outstanding Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to deserving university staff, adding that the arrears of allowances had accumulated for seven years.

    While announcing the union’s resolve to quit the contributory pension scheme, Abdullahi said ASUU planned to establish its pension company  known as Nigerian Universities Pension Company (NUPENCO)