From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to implement the 2020 agreements reached with the union, saying failure to do so will lead to the resumption of a strike action.
The union made the call in a statement signed by its Financial Secretary, Dr Fagbuagun Ojo, on behalf of its Chairperson, Dr Gabriel Omonijo, after its congress on Monday, in Oye-Ekiti.
The statement entitled “NO GOING BACK ON STRIKE IF GOVERNMENT FAILS TO HONOUR 2020 AGREEMENT WITH ASUU”, reads:
“It is regrettable that, traditionally, the only thing that could compel the government to honour its agreements with academic staff is a strike action.
“Therefore, ASUU-FUOYE is urging the federal government to implement, as a matter of urgency, all the components of the December 2020 Memorandum of Action (MOA) as failure to do so is a direct call for the resumption of the suspended industrial action all over the Nigerian Universities.
“The government has not been sincere regarding the performance of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as a payment platform in that some lecturers of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti are owed salary and promotion arrears by the government.
“Arising from the Congress of the Branch, the Congress frowned at government insincerity in the implementation of the December 2020 MOA, most especially, the renegotiation of academic staff salaries and emoluments.
“The current salary of academic staff is nothing to write home about when compared with what their counterparts all over the world are earning at the end of every month.
“The Branch maintained that the only thing that could stop the resumption of the strike is for the government to honour, most especially, the renegotiation component of the agreement as well as the issue of UTAS (University Transparency and Accountability Solution).
“The Branch has resolved that since the renegotiation has been completed, the only thing that could avert the impending strike action is for the government to expedite action on the immediate implementation of the agreements reached with the Union.
“ASUU-FUOYE hereby calls on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to honour the agreements reached with ASUU in order to prevent the imminent collapse of the educational system which is as a result of incessant strike action engendered by government’s laxity in honouring agreements.
“Finally, we are ever ready to speak the language the government understands in order to get the government to adhere to the agreements signed with the Union.
“The government is hereby admonished to act fast before it is too late.”
Present at the Congress includes Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Akure Zone, Prof Olu-Olu Olufayo, Chairperson, ASUU-FUTA, Prof Yinka Awopetu, Chairperson, ASUU-EKSU, Dr Kayode Arogundade and other leaders of ASUU, Akure Zone.