THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on President Bola Tinubu-led government to urgently sign the Nimi Briggs renegotiated draft as a sign of goodwill and assured hope for Nigeria’s public universities.
It, however, observed that the repositioning of Nigeria’s public universities for global recognition will remain a mirage without the federal government implementing the Nimi Briggs report.
“We are dismayed by the federal government’s refusal to implement the already concluded Nimi Briggs report on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement,” it said.
The union said in Sokoto at a joint news conference on Saturday, June 22, by its Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and the Sokoto State University chapters.
The ASUU at the news conference addressed by the duo of Muhammad N. Mustapha and Saidu I. Abubakar respectively, pointed at renegotiation of the FG/ASUU 2009 agreement, withheld salary, and earned academic allowances, illegal dissolution of governing councils among other critical aspects disturbing public universities in the country.
“Also are the implementation of the wage award, completion of the Sokoto state University staff quarters, promotion arrears, underfunding of universities and deepening socio-economic crisis which has worsened the security situation in the country”, it enumerated
Accordingly, the duo said nothing was being done to properly fund universities to address the shortage of lecture rooms, theatres, and inadequate hostel and office accommodations.
“All these have been put to a halt”, the union added.
Similarly, the union expressed shock and concern at the refusal to work with Tinubu’s presidential directive on removing universities from the IPPIS platform.
It added: “To be our chagrin, universities are still being paid through the IPPIS platform which ASUU has consistently rejected the payment platform because it grossly erodes the autonomy of our universities.
“We are also worried that some elements inside and outside the government may be planning to undermine the government’s directive given the ambiguity that currently surrounds the transition out of IPPIS.
“It is also with dismay that the federal government has consistently deprived our members of their promotion arrears particularly those on the professional cadre from 2018 to 2024.
“Also, in the aftermath of the 2022 struggle, the FG claimed to have budgeted the sum of N170 billion which to our understanding, N120 billion was for addressing part of the outstanding Needs Assessment Intervention Fund while the balance would go into paying one of the agreed tranches of the EAA.
“Sadly, the government has not released any funds to the universities based on the understanding.”
ASUU, however, vowed to remain resolute on its patriotic mission with the support of other patriots in the media, labour movements, student groups, and CSOs to join its resolve to reposition the Nigerian university system in particular and the educational system in general for a transformed nation.
