ASUU Urges FG, States to Honour Agreement Deals
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Benin Zone, has urged all concerned Nigerian students, parents, civil society groups, the media, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), influential individuals, and other stakeholders to influence the federal and state governments to uphold their agreements with ASUU.
Prof. Monday Lewis Igbefen, the Coordinator of ASUU Benin Zone, stated that this appeal is necessary to stop the nation’s education sector from deteriorating further into an unacceptable state of decay and dysfunction.
Prof. Igbefen also cautioned that a crisis is looming if the federal and state governments do not fulfill the terms set in the 2009 agreement with the union.
He made this statement during a recent press conference at Dennis Osadebay University in Asaba, Delta State.
During the press conference, themed ‘Averting Looming Crisis in Nigerian Universities,’ Prof. Igbefen called on the federal government and its representatives to refrain from hindering academic activities in the nation’s universities.
He pointed out that since the last strike was suspended in October 2022, the federal government has not honored its promises to improve the poor conditions of service.
Prof. Igbefen remarked, “The Federal Government and its representatives seem inexplicably intent on crippling academic activities in our universities.
“Since we suspended our last strike in October 2022, the federal government has failed to fulfill its commitment to improving our unfavorable conditions of service.
“The government has not yet signed the draft renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which we consider a critical step in resolving the ongoing issues.
“The successful renegotiation of the agreement and its effective implementation is the only acceptable solution to the deteriorating living and working conditions of university staff, the chronic problem of inadequate funding, and other governance challenges in Nigerian universities.
“The federal government has been reluctant to settle years of outstanding promotion entitlements, continues to pay lip service to the need for adequate educational funding, and is hesitant to release our withheld salaries for three and a half months, along with third-party deductions.
“It is unfathomable that, amidst the daily dramatic increases in the cost of basic goods and services in Nigeria, university lecturers have been left to confront the harsh realities of a distressingly poor salary structure that they have endured for sixteen painful years.”
He commented that this situation has led to a continual degradation of the dignity and integrity of university lecturers and a significant number of them seeking opportunities in better-organized economies.
Prof. Igbefen continued, “While it is widely acknowledged that no nation can advance beyond the quality of its education, it is troubling that the federal government continues to treat the education of its citizens with indifference.
“To clarify and ensure there is no misunderstanding, the central issues in this current agitation include the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, sustainable funding for our universities, revitalization of universities, the victimization of our colleagues in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and FUTO, as well as the outstanding 25/35% salary arrears.”
“Other issues include over four years of unpaid promotions, three and a half months of withheld salaries, and various outstanding payments to staff, as well as unprocessed third-party deductions, ASUU dues, and contributions to members’ welfare savings.
“Our union is profoundly worried that despite our utmost patriotic efforts and patience, the representatives of the Federal and State Governments have intentionally failed to uphold the commitments made to our union, and our members are disillusioned by the Federal Government’s negligence in addressing the issues that impact their welfare.
“We are resolute in our stance that we will no longer tolerate this disregard from both state and federal governments, and we firmly believe that the time has come for them to finally and thoroughly address all concerns relating to the welfare of our members and the sustainability of affordable university education in Nigeria.”
He also stated that the union was committed to taking necessary actions to enforce those demands, emphasizing that the government’s neglect in addressing these requests is undoubtedly a direct provocation for conflict.
“Nigerians should recognize that we are at a crucial juncture in the history of university education in the country, as it currently faces significant challenges,” Prof. Igbefen remarked.
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON THE PLAY STORE
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON THE APP STORE
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON WINDOWS
Visit EXAMSCHOLARS.COM for more info.
