Blame Buhari Govt Not Us For Next Nationwide Strike – ASUU

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) around the Yola zone, Adamawa State, has asked Nigerians to hold the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration responsible for its next strike following its refusal comply with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

Naija News reports that members of the ASUU, Yola chapter, comprise of those at Adamawa State University (ADSU) Mubi, Federal University Gashua (FUGA), Modibbo Adama University (MAU) Yola, Taraba State University (TSU) Jalingo, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), and Yobe State University (YSU) Damaturu.

In a press conference at the NUJ secretariat in Yola on Friday, ASUU Yola Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Reuben Jonathan said it will not accept any plea to shelve the impending strike, adding that their decision is in the best interest of Nigerian universities.

According to Jonathan, Yola Zone convened at the Modibbo Adama University on Thursday and reviewed the Memorandum of Action (MoA) entered into with the Federal Government on December 23rd, 2020, after prolonged strike action by the union.

“Recall that in our previous press conference here in Yola on September 15th, 2021, we briefed you on the Government’s refusal and foot-dragging in implementing the said Agreement. Since then, nothing has been done by the Government to address the issues besides propaganda and blackmail.

”The issues remain: Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement and all efforts by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the promise made to address the issue of Renegotiation have not yielded any result so far.

“The refusal of the Government to address the issue of Renegotiation has left us on the same salary for 12 years even as the Government has reviewed the minimum wage twice,” Reuben said.

“On Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), the entitlement was to be paid at the latest in May and June 2021, but as of this moment, nothing has been released to that effect,” he added.

“Recall that our union has developed a robust and dynamic system known as the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) which is a better alternative to the pro-corruption Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“UTAS has been subjected to and passed all the integrity tests without any shortcomings, but beneficiaries of corruption-laden IPPIS have continued to ensure that UTAS does not see the light of day, thereby subjecting our members to hardship.”