ASUU Embarks on Indefinite Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has embarked on an indefinite strike following the failure of the federal government to implement part of the 2009 agreement reached by the two parties.

The union’s demands include the upward review of the retirement age for professors from 65 to 70; adequate funding to revitalise the university system; progressive increase of budgetary allocations to the education sector by 26 per cent; transfer of federal government property to universities; setting up of research and development units by companies; payment of earned allowances; and renegotiation of the signed agreement.

Briefing journalists in Lagos yesterday, Chairman of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) branch of the union, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, said after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ogun State, it directed its members to down tools immediately as a result of the federal government’s failure to pay the academics earned allowances which included excess workload, administrative responsibilities, and postgraduate supervisory allowances, among others.

He said the agreement which the parties signed had stipulated that the sum of ₦100 billion would be paid. However, the federal government had complained that the amount was too much and was subsequently reduced by 80 per cent.

According to him, “The federal government had said that it forgot to include it in the supplementary budget and even went ahead to further reduce the earlier amount agreed on.

“As it is now, neither the old one, nor the new one has been paid. Our members felt that this is more of an insult. We are demanding for what is within the scope of the economy.”

He said a professor who supervises postgraduate theses is supposed to be paid ₦15,000 per student, adding, “The federal government has not paid any lecturer the theses supervisory allowance.

“As lecturers, you are supposed to teach for a particular hour, if you teach beyond that, then it is excess workload. The truth is that people should be paid for the jobs they are doing.”

Ogbinaka expressed regrets that the country was currently witnessing internal brain drain, saying first class graduates who are supposed to work within the academia had made their way to other sectors, adding: “Our institutions can no longer attract foreign scholars and students which used to be the case some years ago.”