- THE leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities met on Saturday and on Sunday over some issues affecting public universities in the country.
THE leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities met on Saturday and on Sunday over some issues affecting public universities in the country.
Its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting was held at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology in Enugu. Some of the issues tabled before President Muhammadu Buhari during a meeting with ASUU leaders on January 14 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja included the “forceful” enrolment of its members into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Others included the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with the government in 2019 and poor funding of the education sector.
The union leaders are expected to take a final position on the lingering IPPIS issue, following the decision of the Federal Government to stop the February salaries of university lecturers who refused to enrol into the new pay roll system.
It was gathered that the union is considering an industrial action, particularly as the government had allegedly moved to stop the salaries of its members.
Sources at the meeting were not sure of the acceptability of the industrial action option, saying another meeting should be arranged with President Buhari over the matter.
It was also gathered that ASUU leaders at the meeting expressed concern about the slow pace of re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government team.
The government team heading the re-negotiation agreement is headed by Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), who is the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The source said the union leaders expressed worry about the lack of progress on the 2009 Federal Government – ASUU, which is up for review.
It added that the union was disturbed by the lack of progress on most issues discussed at its meeting with President Buhari.
The President, at the end of the meeting with the ASUU leadership, had directed the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to examine some of the issues the union raised and look for solutions.
ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, reportedly said the union would hold more consultations before deciding on the lack of action from the Federal Government.
