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Tag: Biodun Ogunyemi

  • ASUU accuses vice chancellors of mismanagement

    THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused some vice chancellors of universities in the country of mismanaging their universities and asked the federal government of Nigeria to immediately set up visitation panel to each of the institutions.

    President of the union, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, told The Nation in an interview in Abuja that the government has been paying lip service to the issue of visitation panels to the universities as contained in their terms of agreement.

    The ASUU president said that sending visitation panels to the universities will douse the tension in the universities and prevent further breakdown of industrial relations and promote industrial harmony.

    Ogunyemi disclosed that the union has written to the minister complaining about the activities of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, in Ekiti State, adding that “when you see crisis coming from the school, for us in ASUU, it is not unexpected.

    “The man has not developed capacity to manage that institution very well. The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja has also been working to suppress the union’s activities and that doesn’t augur well for good governance. That is why we continue to prevail on government to look into our petition against the vice chancellors and address the issue we raised.

    “We have many of these cases coming up in some of these campuses, and that is why we are calling on government, anytime we have the opportunity, asking them to send visitation panel to these universities and all other federal universities to douse tension and prevent further decline and breakdown of industrial relations on these campuses.”

    On the implementation of the agreement signed between government and the union, Oguyemi said, “as things stand, we have issues; because the negotiation has been stalled. But we are engaging with government, hoping that the minister will intervene in the matter.

    “We have issues with the government team that is negotiating with us and we have written to the minister, placing our complaints on the table, hoping that in no time, he will intervene in the matter and our renegotiation will come back fully and be completed speedily.

    Read Also: ASUU rejects Committee set up to investigate attack

    “As for the aspect that has to do with payment of our allowances, we are still tracking them. They paid part of the entitlement, but we expect them to have mainstreamed the balance into the 2019 budget. But that did not happen. We are only hoping that the chance will not be missed in 2020. That is why we want to engage the government.’’

    The ASUU president also accused some vice chancellors of trying to suppress activities of the union on their campuses, saying the union will not take it lightly with such vice chancellors as they were prepared to confront them.

    Speaking on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, Ogunyemi said there was the need for intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, as the process has been stalled.

    He said the issues for renegotiation are non-implementation of components of the 2017 memorandum of action, non-release of over N1 trillion arrears or revitalisation fund owed public universities from 2014 to 2018.  “As things stand, we have issues; because the negotiation has been stalled, but we are engaging with government, hoping that the minister intervenes in the matter.”

    He called on government to resolve the issue regarding the unpaid arrears of shortfall in salaries in universities that have been verified under the presidential initiative, on continuous auditing.

  • ASUU describes FG verification exercise as a dubious trap

    The plans of the Federal Government to verify its personnel in select ministries, departments and agencies might suffer a setback as the umbrella body of the lecturers over the weekend did not only reject the idea but also described it as a forceful and dubious trap to enlist the lecturers on the earlier rejected Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

    The lecturers under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has also directed all her members not to fill the ‘2019 Personnel Data Verification Form’ being distributed by the Budget Office of the federation for the purpose of the exercise.

    President of the Union, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi in a letter written to Chapter Chairmen of the Union, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Ibadan by the Chairman University of Ibadan chapter, Professor Deji Omole, directed members not to fill the personnel verification form, insisting that the verification form is dubious.

    According to Ogunyemi, while the Union was not against any verification exercise, the form being distributed for the exercise requires the supply of “IPPIS number, implying a dubious trap to forcefully migrate the Union members into the IPPIS.

    “The attention of the leadership of the ASUU has been drawn to a circular from the budget office of the federation directing members of our union to participate in a Personnel Verification Exercise designed for selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    Read Also: ASUU, FG resume discussion on 2009 agreement

    “An item on the form requires the supply of “IPPIS no”. This suggests that the so-called exercise is a disguised way of bringing back the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) which our Union rejected in the past with informed arguments.

    “All chairpersons are advised against falling into the trap of forceful migration to the IPPIS. All chairpersons are strongly advised to discourage their members from completing the form under reference until the Union reviews its position on the IPPS.”

    Speaking on the Directive, Professor Omole stated that current IPPIS program does not accommodate the peculiarities of the job of university lecturers, noting that while the government has promised to revisit the design of the IPPIS, it has refused to do anything since the Union made its position known in 2014.

    “The current state of IPPS cannot accommodate the peculiarities of our job as scholars. Members should equally recall that the union has been engaging the federal government with a view to making relevant authorities to appreciate the implications and position of ASUU on the matter since 2014.

    “Pending the resolution of the matter, evidence of which shall be communicated to all members, no member of the union is allowed to enlist on the IPPIS”, Omole added.

  • We’re committed to 2019 MoA with FG, says ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says it will abide by the contents of the 2019 Memorandum of Action (MoA) agreed upon by the union and the Federal Government.

    Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

    He was reacting to a statement circulating on the social media regarding ASUU’s plan to embark on another strike.

    NAN reports that ASUU and Government reached an agreement on Feb. 7 and the union suspended its three months strike on Feb. 8, after resolving eight areas of disagreement.

    Ogunyemi, however, said that if government failed to fulfill its part of the agreement as reflected in the 2019 MoA, ASUU would resume its suspended strike as the union deemed fit.

    According to him, as far as our members are concerned, we are activating our Memorandum of Action by engaging the Federal Government to keep to their promises.

    Read Also: ASUU president tasks FG on pro- poor policies

    “Some of the agreements are already coming up, but some are still pending with respect to our Memorandum of Action and we will continue to do that and there is no continuation of any strike action for now.

    “We are concerned about the plight of our students and we have gone back to intensify efforts to cover lost grounds.

    “ Our members have sacrificed their annual leave and those who are supposed to go on sabbatical, many of them have put on hold their sabbatical leave.

    “This is to show our students and their parents and indeed all Nigerians that we are not out to destroy the system.

    “ Once we make demand from government and government responds positively, we will not go any extra mile to put down the system, our interest is to build the system and we have always done that,” he said.

    He called on Nigerians to ignore the rumour of ASUU embarking on another industrial action.

    “Someone or some people have created a twitter handle that they use to misinform Nigerians and we have responded to say we have nothing to do with that twitter handle, that anything on that twitter handle should be disregarded.

    “We do not have an official twitter handle, we have just protested to twitter now, that the handle should be blocked because the twitter handle does not belong to us and they have been using it to make statements in the name of ASUU.

    “We do not have anything to do with that handle and we have every reason to suspect that the person or those who created that twitter handle are fraudsters.

    “Nigerians should be wary of them and they should not take seriously any information coming from that twitter handle because we do have not one and we have not directed any anybody to release information on our behalf, ‘’he said.

    NAN

  • Strike: We are still consulting – ASUU President

    Three months after going on strike, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it is still consulting with its members over offers made by the Federal Government.

    The union’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos that they would meet with officials of the government within the week.

    According to him, government had made some offers in the course of meetings with ASUU which are still being deliberated by members.

    “We are still consulting with our chapters across the country.

    “There are promises that government made and we are trying to consult with the various university chapters on the options before the union.

    “By the time we are fully aware on what is left of our demands from what the government is offering, then we will know what steps to take, even as negotiations with the government continues.

    “For instance, we are in touch with about 20 universities that are affected, to be sure of the level of implementation.

    “By the time we finish our assessment, we will now send our response back to government, concerning the level of implementation.

    Read Also: ASUU tackles Fed Govt over N163 billion varsity funds

    “And depending on the outcome of our further engagements with government, we will now get back to our members,” he said.

    Ogunyemi said ASUU is expected to be involved in another round of meeting with the government within the week, adding that he expects a positive outcome.

    NAN reports that the university teachers have been on strike since Nov. 4, 2018 over alleged non-implementation of agreements it entered into with the federal government in 2009 and 2017.

    Their demands are on better welfare package and improved teaching and learning environment, among other issues.

  • Stop distorting facts, ASUU tells FG

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked the federal government to stop distorting facts about funds released to the union and the universities, saying the ongoing strike by the university teachers is still lingering because of a few disagreement between the government and the union on the mode of releasing agreed funds to the Universities.

    National President of the union, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi who spoke with The Nation on the sideline of the Central Working Committee meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend said the union was not a spending agency of government, adding that the comment credited to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige that N163 billion was released to the Union was a distortion of facts.

    Ogunyemi said the N163 billion referred to by the Minister was released to the Universities by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to meet specific needs in the universities and should not be equated to the revitalization fund being demanded by the unions.

    He said “The Minister of Labour referred to the release of N163bn which was not released by the Ministry of Education for revitalization. That fund he alluded to was from TETFUND.

    “TETFUND was there when we carried out the NEEDS Assessment in 2012. What we called Revitalisation Fund today is a product of that exercise of 2012. We have always drawn a line of distinction between what TETFUND gives and what we should access from the NEEDS Assessment Fund. They are different terms of interventions that should not be equated to one.

    “TETFUND as an intervention agency is ASUU brainchild which became a reality. The funds from the NEEDS Assessment is to fix specific items of deficiency in our system.

    Unfortunately, both federal and state governments have now relinquished their responsibilities to TETFUND. The Federal Government budget for education in term of capital project funding is worrisome.

    “That is why we keep saying that the Ministry of Labour and Employment should stop saying N163bn has been released to ASUU. ASUU is not a spending agency of government. We don’t spend government money. When money is released, it goes to the universities and governing councils who are representatives of government in the schools. It is a distortion if we say N163bn was released to ASUU.”

    He explained that the issue of university revitalization has remained contentious with the union demanding a release of N50 billion to the Universities before the strike is suspended, while government is saying it cannot meet that demand as a result of the condition of the economy.

    He said “The area that is perhaps most contentious is revitalization. That is where we said the Federal Government should release N50bn. We proposed that government should release one tranche of N220bn but it claimed that N20bn was released earlier. That N20bn was promised early in 2017 but was released late in 2018. The government is now taking that as part of the N220bn we are calling for.

    “That means we have N200bn left to make it one tranche. We advised that the amount should be split into four tranches so that N50bn will be released first. That was our demand. It is a minimal position, but government said it was not possible because of the economic situation of the country.

    “It proposed that it will be increased in the second quarter. That is what we are yet to agree on as it concerns revitalization. We hope government will do a rethink on this before the middle of this week so that we can meet again and sort out the gray areas.”

    Read Also: ASUU, government and development

    He expressed the hope that when both parties meet again later this week, the issues in contention will be resolved to allow students return to classes, saying “In the last meeting we had, we tried to trash the grey areas. They gave us the updates on items on the list and narrowed it to three areas that have yet to be finalised. Our members are serious about those areas.

    “The one about shortfall is neither there nor here. Although government gave us evidence about payment to universities, we are still awaiting confirmation (of the receipt) from the universities. Only some have confirmed it.

    “Concerning the issue of earned academic allowances, we are consulting our members on what the government wants to pay now. The problem there is the reschedule of payment of the balance. With the report of the forensic audit, we have a clear idea of what the government owes up till 2016.

    “We agreed with the government proposal of paying in four installments. What we have not finalised is the proportion of the payment. We also agreed that government can pay the money in 36 months. This means that at the end of every nine months, something must be paid.

    “On the issue of our Pension Fund Administrators which is Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company, we have seen some green light and hope that the licence for our operation, as promised, should be out this week. These are areas we are working on.

    Ogunyemi said the union has tried to bend backward in its demands as a result of the intervention of Nigerians, saying “We have been reducing our demands because of the intervention from stakeholders and when we meet again, we will be hoping to arrive at something acceptable.

    “As an individual, I don’t have a say in when the strike will end. If government comes up with a proposal that will sell before our people, it will be easier for us to tell them that government has tried its best. It is not enough for us to say that we have tried our best. Government must also show that it has tried its best. Our members are reasonable.”

  • ASUU strike may end this week – Minister

    Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has said the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities may end this week.

    The minister disclosed this during a briefing with reporters on the proliferation of illegal institutions in the country, at the weekend in Abuja.

    The ASUU have been on strike since November 4th, 2018.

    Malam Adamu said: “Perhaps by next week I hope the ASUU strike will be over.”

    But when contacted, the ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, in a text message, said the union was still consulting on whether to end the strike or not.

    According to him, the union wants to take stock of what government have promised.

    He said: “All I can say, for now, is that we are still consulting. We need to take stock of government’s promises in terms of aspects that have been fulfilled and what is left.

    Read Also: End ASUU strike now: Buhari orders Ngige

    “The feedback and assessment of our members will guide our response in subsequent engagements with government. We hope the expectations of our membership would be met in the new week.

    On whether the universities have accessed the N15.89 billion released by the federal government, he said: “We are cross-checking with the concerned universities. Until we confirm that all the universities have received the money, I cannot confirm.

    “And please note that ASUU does not collect money from government, financial releases are made directly to universities. That’s why we need confirmation.”

    The government has been meeting the university lecturers since the strike began.

    However, one major issue that keeps dragging the negotiations back and forth is the revitalisation of universities.

    At present, the government is yet to release the N1.1 trillion it agreed to release as part of the funds for the revitalization project.

    The 2013 MoU stipulated that public universities needed N1.3 trillion for a modest revitalisation.

    The fund was to be released in tranches of N200billion in 2013, N220billion 2014, N220billion 2015, 220billion in 2016, N220billion in 2017 and N220billion in 2018.

    Although the previous government of Goodluck Jonathan released N200 billion in 2013 nothing has been released since then.

     

  • ASUU bars members from 2019 elections

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has barred its members from participating in the 2019 general elections processes.

    It also said offers from the Federal Government in the efforts to meet its demands as contained in the 2017 Memorandum of Action (MoA) are still fluid and far from expectations.

    It, however, allows members to voluntarily participate but without using any material that bears ASUU or insignia that relates to the union.

    In a strike Bulletin 8 by the union’s President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, a copy of which was obtained by the University of Ibadan chapter, the body asked members to await further developments on the strike which are ‘rapidly unfolding.’

    According to Ogunyemi, the proposal from government towards resolving the demands of lecturers as contained in the 2017 MoA is still fluid and far from expectations.

    Read Also: Strike: FG reaches agreement with ASUU

    The bulletin reads: “Though some progress has been made with respect to discussion with Government agents (The Minister of Labour and Employment as well as Minister of Education), at the moment, the proposal from Government towards resolving the demand of ASUU as contained in 2017 MoA and Strike Bulletin 1 is still too fluid and far from expectations. Hence, it is the view of the NSCC that members should await further developments which are rapidly unfolding.

    “In accordance with the ASUU’s long standing position, ASUU as a union will not participate in the conduct of 2019 general elections, although members may voluntarily participate in the conduct of the elections. However, members are prohibited from participating in the election processes using any material that bears ASUU or relates to the union”

  • ASUU decries alleged intimidation of members in UNILAG

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday alleged intimation of its members in the University of Lagos by the institution’s Pro Chancellor,  Dr Wale Babalakin.

    The ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who made the allegation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, advised Babalakin to end the alleged high-handedness in the interest of university education.

    “Our attention has been drawn to the way the pro-chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin, is ruling the University of Lagos.

    “We have also been informed of the various antics he has been trying to use against our members since the commencement of our current struggle.

    “Our members are fighting a just cause, and we are convinced that history will vindicate us.

    “Those who are coming up with policies that will make the children of the poor to be poorer should remember that the rich will not be able to sleep when the poor are angry,” he warned.

    He urged ASUU members in the university not to succumb to alleged harassment and intimidation by the pro-chancellor.

    Read Also: NLC backs ASUU strike

    The Chairman of ASUU, Lagos Zone, Prof. Olusiji Sowade, had in a statement on Sunday alleged that the pro-chancellor had been meddlesome and dictatorial.

    He said that Babalakin’s convening of a town hall meeting with the Non Academic Staff of the University (NASU) on Sept. 26 violated extant laws and traditions of the 56-year-old institution.

    “The latest antics is his letter to Heads of Departments and Deans of Faculties, inviting them to a meeting on Dec. 11.

    “This represents another violation of the university norm and rabid desire to scuttle the ongoing strike by union,” the zonal chairman said.

    Reacting in a telephone interview with NAN, Babalakin said that he had yet to be

    aware of what the ASUU members were talking about as he just returned from abroad.

    “I just arrived into the country. I am yet to see the statement by the union and I am not aware of what the union is talking about,” he said.

    On his alleged plan to scuttle the strike, Babalakin said: “He who asserts must prove.”

    Recall that ASUU had on Nov. 4, embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike.

    The union is protesting non-implementation of agreements it reached with the Federal Government.

    It is also agitating for improved funding of the university system and improved welfare package for its members, among some other demands.

    NAN

  • ASUU Strike-FG set to meet with union on Monday

    The Federal Government will meet with the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) on Monday Dec.10, over the ongoing nationwide strike.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made this known in a statement signed by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mr Samuel Olowookere, in Abuja.

    Ngige said that all further discussions between the Ministry of Education and ASUU would now reconvene at 4 p.m.at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

    The Minister also condemned a statement credited to a Human Rights Lawyer, Mr Femi Falana who was alleged to have described as illegal the enforcement of section 43:1 of the Trade Dispute Act 2004 on the’’ No Work No Pay’’

    Falana was also said to have asked the federal government to immediately withdraw what he termed an “illegal order”.

    The minister, however, said that the law of ‘’No Work, No Pay,’’ was a fundamental axiom in labour and industrial relations all over the world.

    He said that the ministry would investigate the media report credited to Falana to ascertain whether he actually quoted the Supreme Court judgments.

    “That is knowing that they are tangential and that they neither anchor nor dwell on provisions of section 43 of Trade Dispute Act T8(LFN 2004) before it will take further necessary action, ” he said.

    Read Also:ASUU strike: FG begins implementation of no-work-no-pay rule in striking varsities

    NAN reports that on Dec, 4, the meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU ended without any conclusio.

    Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President, while speaking with newsmen at the end of the closed door meeting in Abuja noted that negotiations were still ongoing. He said both parties were yet to reach a concrete decision.

    “For now, we have started to discuss. We are yet to reach any concrete decision. Once we have more information, we will make ourselves available to the press.

    “The union will reconvene very soon to continue negotiations,” he said.

    The meeting held at the instance of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu was to find lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the university lecturers.

    ASUU had on Nov. 4, embarked on an indefinite strike over poor funding of Nigerian universities and non-implementation of previous agreements by government.

    Meanwhile, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr Danielson Akpan has urged both parties to have a common ground so that the universities can reopen.

    He said they must put the interest of the country and Nigerian students above any other thing.

  • ASUU wants FG to negotiate with union to end strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says it is ready to negotiate with government toward ending its one-week old industrial action.

    Its President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who was guest on TVC News Breakfast show on Tuesday, also advised government to establish an education bank for proper funding of universities.

    He regretted the attitude of government to the university lecturers’ demands, saying that letters notifying government of the strike, which were submitted to the education and labour ministries on Nov. 5, had not been replied.

    “We wrote to inform the ministries that we had resumed our strike. We told them that we had resumed the strike we suspended in Sept. 2017 because government failed to implement agreements we signed.

    “The ministries signed to acknowledge receipt of the copies we gave them, but none has written a reply to us,” he said.

    He accused the political class of strangling primary and secondary education in Nigeria, saying that 24 states had failed to access the Universal Basic Education Commission funds for 2018.

    According to him, that has left UBEC with more than N60 billion that states have yet to access.

    Ogunyemi observed that the federal government, which had consistently allocated seven per cent to education in the last two years, was not sincere in the claim that it was declaring a state of emergency in the education sector.

    “The Federal Government suddenly woke up from slumber and announced a state of emergency in the education sector. It also promised to allocate 15 per cent of its budget to the sector. We find this unbelievable and deceitful.

    Read Also: As ASUU begins indefinite strike

    “We feel that the `sudden’ promise has more to do with the fact that we are in an election year,” he declared.

    He alleged that the ruling class in Nigeria had no concern for the education of the poor.

    NAN reports that the lecturers had resolved to remain at home until their demands, which include proper funding of the universities, are met.

    Other demands included the payment of full salaries by state-owned universities, payment of earned academic allowances, among others.

    NAN