From Desmond Mgboh

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that its  present struggle is not just about the migration of its members to IPPIS platform, but about the deliberate refusal of the Federal Government to substantially address outstanding issues in thE 2019 Memorandum of Action(MoA).

Speaking during a press conference, marking the end of its zonal meeting, held at Bayero University on Tuesday, the Acting Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Kano Zone, Comrade Abdulkadir Muhammad listed the issues in the Memorandum of Action (MoA) to include the provision of funding for the revitalization of Nigerian Universities and the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.

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According to him, other issues in contention as captured by the Agreement with the government included constitution of Visitation panels to Universities, the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, the proliferation of and governance issues in the state universities and the inconsistencies arising from the forceful and illegal enrollment of members into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

ASUU declared that their position has not changed, despite the illegal enrollment of its members into Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)platform, through blackmail, coercion and the use of starvation by withholding their salaries.

ASUU observed that the implementation of the IPPIS has demonstrated glaring inconsistencies such as the payment of amputated salary, heavy taxation, omission, payment to staff that had left the university system while adding that IPPIS would have severe consequences for the system, some of which had started manifesting with the termination of the appointments of Academics on visiting, sabbatical, those on contracts ( Nigerians and expatriates), adjuncts and part-time lecturers, among others.

ASUU, therefore, called on the Federal Government to recommence and conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on ILOs collective bargaining principles.
They also asked the Visitor to constitute and activate Visitation Panels to all Federal Universities as well as direct that the outcomes be fully implemented, especially following the illegal recruitment recently carried out by most Universities.
They regretted that Nigerian Universities are poorly equipped to cope with the protocols of COVID -19 as outlined by NCDC for the resumption of students, adding they lacked running water, electricity, have poorly spaced hostel rooms, libraries, laboratories, staff offices and are characterized by overcrowded classes.
ASUU commended their members and their families nationwide for their sustained commitment to the union”s struggle to salvage the University system and the country from agents of neo- liberalism. End