Amidst mounting concerns, the nation’s university workers, unified under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), appear to be on the brink of another confrontation with the federal government. The impending clash revolves around issues encompassing members’ welfare, working conditions, and unfulfilled promises by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Reports indicate that ASUU members are expressing disappointment over President Tinubu’s failure to fulfill promises, particularly the release of eight months’ withheld salaries resulting from the 2022 industrial action, as well as the six-month N35,000 wage award and upward salary review. This dissatisfaction has fueled the perception that the union is growing weary of the federal government’s perceived unfaithfulness to agreements and commitments made to ASUU since Tinubu assumed office.
Despite President Tinubu’s assurances during the 33rd convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, where he pledged cooperation with unions to prevent strikes and ensure educational development, tangible actions to address ASUU’s grievances have reportedly been lacking. The administration’s approval of the partial waiver of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ order and promises to tackle challenges in the education sector seem to have fallen short of expectations.
In November of the previous year, President Tinubu directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ order, allowing ASUU members to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months withheld during the strike. However, nearly sixteen months after the academic staff returned to work, concerns persist about the withheld salaries, further contributing to the growing discontent within the union.
ASUU has embarked on a nationwide consultation with its members, expressing regret that despite gentlemen’s agreements with the federal government, no payments have been made. The union cites the non-implementation of agreements, including the removal of members from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), as additional points of contention.
In the broader context, issues extend beyond salary concerns, encompassing the government’s handling of the removal of fuel subsidy, the upward salary review, and the promise to address the weaknesses of the IPPIS system. ASUU’s call for the government to abolish IPPIS in favor of its proposed University Transparency Account System (UTAS) reflects the union’s broader vision for a system tailored to the peculiarities of universities.
As the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU engages in nationwide consultations, the union’s National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has emphasized that the government has not implemented any of the agreements reached with organized labor, particularly ASUU, during President Tinubu’s administration. The NEC is poised to make decisions on the next course of action, raising the possibility of further industrial action if the government’s commitments remain unfulfilled.
In the midst of these challenges, ASUU members, including the branch chairman of ASUU UNN, Comrade Nobert Oyibo Eze, highlight the increasing difficulty faced by university lecturers as their salaries fail to keep pace with economic realities. Eze points to the depreciating value of salaries and the hardships endured by university workers, echoing the sentiment that actions speak louder than promises.
As the situation unfolds, the fate of university education in Nigeria hangs in the balance, with the potential for another chapter of labor unrest if the government does not address the multifaceted concerns raised by ASUU.
