By Akinwale Kasali
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has lamented the poor remuneration of Professors in Nigerian Universities. It also accused the Government of perpetuating lawlessness in the Universities across the country.
ASUU said the Government must ensure that adequate attention is paid to the education system as the country would be doomed without quality education.
It frowned at the continued neglect of its Staff by the Government, as they earn meager amounts to services rendered.
ASUU called on the Governments to address the lingering issues in Universities and insisted that public University education was deliberately being toyed with by Governments and their officials to keep the masses in a perpetual state of illiteracy and exploitation.
The ASUU Bauchi Zone called on the Government to make full payments of their owed salaries, restoration of Governing Councils (where there are none) for the smooth running of the Universities as the use of Vice Chancellors to run Universities are illegal.
ASUU Acting ZonalCoordinator, Prof. Nanmwa Voncir said that when ASUU held its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, the Union did a comprehensive review of the state of its engagements with Federal and State Governments on how to reposition Nigeria’s public Universities for a global reckoning by arresting the worsening living and working conditions in the Universities and the nation at large.
It added that ASUU is deeply disturbed by the reports received, on the failure of the Federal Government of Nigeria to fulfil its promises to the Union. We are greatly concerned with the continuing decay in the University system including the unabated brain drain.
He listed the lingering issues to include, renegotiation of the FGN/ASUU 2009 agreement, withheld salaries, arrears of earned academic allowances, illegal dissolution of Governing Councils, Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard, CCMAS, the proliferation of Universities, TETFund intervention, underfunding of Universities and the deepening socioeconomic crisis.
It added that the promises made by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila are yet to be fulfilled, even as Gbajabiamila is the Chief of Staff to the President and Commander-in-Chief.
“There is no justification for withholding lecturers’ salaries if not for the grand design of the ruling class to emasculate and ridicule them. Members of ASUU have since made up for lost ground, covering two academic sessions in many Universities within the period, in addition to the fact that Research/ Community service of academic staff responsibilities never suffered during the strike period”, the Union said.
ASUU called on the Federal Government to, “as a matter of urgency, release all the withheld salaries and third-party deductions of our members to restore their fading hope in the Nigerian University system and Nigeria as a country. This is the only way industrial disharmony can be avoided.”
