Reposition Nigeria’s tertiary institutions now – ASUU tells Tinubu

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called on President Bola Tinubu to look into the yearnings of the union to reposition the nation’s tertiary institutions.

The union decried the neglects of its demands by the past administrations, saying the lingering crises that led to series of agitation since 2022 was due to non-implementation of the demands.

Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, AKure Zone, Adeola Egbedokin, made the call at a news conference held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, on Monday.

Egbedokun said that the ruling class in the country do not care whether universities are thriving or not, adding that the nonchalant attitude had forced many committed academics to seek greener pastures.

The zonal coordinator called on the President Tinubu-led administration to immediately commence the process of reviewing and signing of the Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated draft agreement of 2021 between ASUU and government to rekindle hope in the public universities.

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Egbedokun added that it was only concrete steps by the government to “restore the eroded dignity and degraded lives of ASUU members” that could guarantee lasting peace in public universities.

According to him, the government should always respect the laws and regulations establishing universities and not wait for the union’s threat before reconstitution of governing councils in federal universities.

He also demanded the immediate lifting of the embargo on university employment by the federal government that had persisted for years.

The zonal coordinator added that the union had consistently rejected IPPIS platform for salary payments of the its members because it violated the autonomy of universities.

“ASUU’s position remains unchanged: the government should revert to quarterly releases of university funds to enable the institutions design and implement their salary payment plans under the supervision of their governing councils.

“In the interest of industrial harmony, government should direct the immediate release of all outstanding deductions, unpaid promotion arrears and salaries of university academics which were unjustly withheld by the IPPIS regime,” he stated.

The Akure zone of ASUU comprises Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, FUTA, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti; Federal University, Oye Ekiti and University of Medical Sciences, Ondo.