The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to cease the alleged victimisation of its members in public universities across the country and honour the agreements made with the union.
During a press conference at the Nigerian Union of Journalists Press Centre in Sokoto, ASUU’s Sokoto Zone Chairman, Prof. Abubakar Yabo, expressed concern over the government’s failure to implement the memorandum of action that was part of the 2009 Nimi Briggs agreement. This agreement had led to the suspension of ASUU’s 2022 strike.
Prof. Yabo listed several unmet agreements, including:
– The release of withheld three-and-a-half-month salaries due to the 2022 strike.
– Unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
– Release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.
– Funding for the revitalisation of public universities, as promised in the 2023 federal budget.
Yabo criticized the government and certain university administrators, accusing them of collaborating with “tyrannical vice chancellors” and governing councils to victimise ASUU members rather than addressing the agreed-upon terms.
He condemned the deteriorating conditions in the education sector, worsened by current economic hardships, and urged the government to respect academic freedom and improve the working environment for both staff and students.
ASUU also called out overzealous vice chancellors in the Sokoto zone for their alleged abuse of power, urging them to follow global best practices and treat academics with respect.
The union demanded that the Federal Government put an end to what it described as its “anti-intellectual posture” and fulfill its promises to public universities, warning that the survival of these institutions is crucial to the nation’s future.
ASUU’s Sokoto zone includes Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Umaru Musa Yaradua University, Sokoto State University, and several other federal universities in the region.
