By ASUU Threatens Industrial Action Over Unreleased Funds and Unresolved Issues
Ghazali Ibrahim
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning, indicating the possibility of embarking on another industrial action if the federal government fails to disburse the allocated N170 billion in the 2023 budget meant for the revitalization of universities.
This statement was reiterated by Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, the Coordinator of ASUU, Lagos Zone, during a press conference held in Lagos over the weekend, according to Punch Newspaper.
It was gathered that the federal government started paying withheld salaries of ASUU last week after a notification of strike issued by NLC and TUC.
Giving an account of the pressing issues faced by the union, Prof. Odukoya emphasized the urgent need for increased government funding and attention to public universities.
In a report by Punch, Prof. Adelaja Odukoya was quoted saying, “The government must prioritize the revitalization of universities and address our pressing concerns, or we may have no choice but to resort to industrial action once again.”
He pointed out several unresolved matters, including the non-injection of revitalization funds as agreed upon and appropriated for in the 2023 Budget. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding the proliferation of federal and state universities without adequate financial support, the delayed renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, and the ongoing use of the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as a payment platform.
Furthermore, Prof. Odukoya expressed dissatisfaction with the continuous delay in the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, the utilization of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for university operations, and the non-recall of ASUU officials who were sacked at Lagos State University (LASU) five years ago.
In condemnation of the “No-Work No-Pay” policy implemented during the previous administration, which resulted in lecturers being deprived of salaries for an extended period, ASUU underscored the detrimental impact of such policies on academic staff.
