ASUU warns of another strike, tells students to blame FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has told Nigerians to blame President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime if the union decides to resume its suspended strike.

Ayo Akinwole, ASUU Chairman of the University of Ibadan branch, in a statement on Sunday revealed that many lecturers were still being owed salaries ranging from two to 10 months despite the federal government’s promises to meet the demands of the union.

“While ASUU as a union and her members as individuals in various branches have remained faithful to this agreement by returning to classes and performing their respective duties, the Federal Government, true to type, has reneged on its part,” Mr. Akinwole said.

“Contrary to FGN affirmation of its commitment to pay all withheld salaries of ASUU members who have not enrolled in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information system (IPPIS), three months after the suspension of the strike, thousands of ASUU members across various branch are still being owed salaries.”

He further alleged that ASUU members were coerced by the government to register on the repressive IPPIS initially rejected by the union.

“Instead of deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) software developed by ASUU, which has been adjudged effective for payment of salaries, some of our members are still being denied their salaries, and others are being coerced by agents of the government to register on the repressive IPPIS for payment of salaries,” he added.

Mr. Akinwole warned that the treatment meted on public university lecturers would hurt public tertiary education, asking the Nigerian public to “blame the federal government of Nigeria if the universities are shut down again.”

In March 2020, the union embarked on a nine-month strike over demands for improved remuneration and working conditions.

The strike was called off after the government promised to meet the striking lecturers’ demands in December 2020.

Part of the union’s strike agitation was its exemption from the enrollment of the IPPIS.