On Tuesday, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will meet with members of the Federal Government to discuss its ongoing strike action.
ASUU President Professor Emmanuel Osodeke said the meeting was to examine one of the seven problems the organisation is protesting.
Osodeke noted;
“That is the issue of renegotiation; the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
“It is not just about wages. It has to do with the system, funding, structure, autonomy, and other issues; and how to fund universities.
The issue of IPPIS and UTAS has been put to rest. If the government agrees with us tomorrow, everything will be resolved.
“The government has reduced it to just salaries alone. But if they had looked at the whole agreement and implemented it, we will not be talking about funding.”
Professor Osodeke suggested that if Tuesday’s meeting goes well, the strike action may be called off.
Back Story And Demands
On February 14, ASUU began a four-week warning strike.
To give the administration time to fulfil all of its objectives, the union decided to extend the industrial action by another two months on March 14. On May 9, a 12-week extension was declared.
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The union has been on strike since May 9 and has vowed to continue doing so until its demands are granted.
Among other requests, the academics want better welfare, the revitalization of public universities, and academic autonomy.
The non-payment of university revitalization funds, which total roughly N1.1 trillion, is one point of discontent among academics.
However, the Federal Government has asserted that it lacks the resources to make such a payment, citing the low oil prices experienced during President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.
2009 saw the agreement’s signing.
The integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System is yet another issue.
The University Transparency and Accountability Solution is an alternative payroll system that has been advocated by academics (UTAS).
