Fresh ASUU strike over 2009 agreement

ASUU are set for some other strike over the controversial 2009 agreement they reached with the Federal Government among different issues. Its National Executive Committee (NEC) will sit today in Abuja over the issue, all chapters of the union nationwide held a congress as directed with the aid of its national body to decide whether or not to move in advance with the planned strike. The options given to them are: whether or not it should be total and indefinite strike, one month strike, one week, and no strike in any respect. This observed the directive sent to branches by way of ASUU National President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi Ashe was mandated by way of the NEC meeting held in Nasarawa State University (NSU).Chairman ASUU-Lagos state university (LASU) Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewunmi stated earlier today that the chapter resolved in favor of “total and indefinite
strike”.In August last year, the union threatened strike over the government’s failure to implement the 2009 agreement. Coordinator of ASUU (Lagos Zone) Prof Olusoji Sowande, said the
union was tired because efforts to get the agreement honored were fruitless. The union
listed some of the unresolved issues as: Breach of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 2009 FG/ASUU Agreement on financing of state universities; breach of the conditions of service; refusal to honor the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and re –negotiation of the agreement. In January, ASUU staged a one-week warning strike. Union officials said the Federal
Government is owing universities over N880 billion in intervention fund. Other issues according
to ASUU officials are: The Federal Government’s foot-dragging over ‘funds for the revitalization
of public universities, non-release of NUPEMCO operational license, non-payment of earned
academic allowances, payment of fractions/non-payment of salaries, retired professors and their salaries and university staff schools’.The official said ASUU explored all channels to make the
Federal Government see reasons but said: “It seems the Federal Government is more concerned
with buying exotic vehicles for the National Assembly while public education and lecturers
continue to suffer owing to dilapidated infrastructure.”He said the union was angry at
the failure of the Federal Government to release the operational license for the union’s pension
managers after collecting N1 billion since two years ago.“Till date the government is owing
the intervention funds to the tune ofN880 billion. When we approached them for licensing of
Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), they asked us to go and
bring registration fee, which is supposed to be N150million. Till date, we have paid government
N1 billion and our money has been with them for two years and they are not saying anything. None
of this pension administrators can fulfill the University Miscellaneous Act which says university
professors must retire with their full money. The money must have been invested and yielding
interest for somebody. We are demanding our license and funding of public universities.”