The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, Edo State chapter, on Saturday, November 14, 2020, said that no good thing can come without pain.
It insisted that the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike since March this year by ASUU members in public universities would encourage the state and federal governments to review their neo-liberal strategy to commercialize education and the consequent abysmal neglect of Nigerian public universities, especially in the area of adequate funding.
The AAU chapter of ASUU stated this Saturday in a statement titled: “The Survival of Public Universities in Nigeria and the Desirability of the Ongoing Nationwide Strike,” which was signed by the Chairperson, Monday Igbafen.
It declared that the strike was the only avenue to compel the authorities to respond to the plight of the lecturers, while calling on Nigerians, especially the parents and guardians, to bear with ASUU, for a better future.
The union said: “Government should be adequately confronted on its plan to raise the cost of education beyond the reach of the vast poor majority of Nigerians.
“All stakeholders in the education sector, particularly the students, parents, and guardians, must realise the need to join the patriotic struggle to ensure adequate funding of education in Nigeria. The ongoing strike is a veritable motif to bring about quality education in the country.
“Nigerians should bear with us. ASUU members are doing their battle to ensure that the children of the poor, who cannot afford the prohibitive cost paid in private universities or do not have opportunities to study outside Nigeria, get quality education, which is now priced beyond their reach. This will only happen when the government adequately funds public universities and addresses the rot in them.”
ASUU also accused some leaders in the government of gross insensitivity to the sad realities in public universities, since their children were not in Nigerian universities, but schooling overseas, which they said was responsible for the obvious lack of committed interest and concern of the government to the earnest resolution of the issues, which led to the ongoing strike.
It said: “ASUU has granted substantial concession in its demands, to pave way for easy and quick resolution of the crisis, but the attitude and approach of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to the earnest resolution of the strike is falling short of expectations.
“The union has shifted positions in some respects, especially the reduction of one tranche of N220 billion of the outstanding revitalisation fund by 50 percent and also agreed that N30 billion, out of the so far verified arrears of N40 billion of the Earned Academic Allowances, EAA, be paid, while the balance of N10 billion should be spread over the next two tranches. There is also steady progress on other issues.
“What has stalled meaningful dialogue is the government’s insistence that payment of the withheld salaries and other entitlements of ASUU members will only be affected through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS.
“ASUU is irrevocably opposed to IPPIS. The government should release all that is due to the members of the union, without the conditionality of IPPIS.
“We also call on the Edo State government to urgently intervene in the crisis of payment of staff salaries in AAU, Ekpoma, to avoid the prolongation of the ongoing nationwide strike in the state university, after the eventual resolution of the strike at the national level.
“The staff of AAU, Ekpoma are suffering, as a result of the non-payment of salaries for four months running, check-off dues and other deductions in the university since March this year. We are worried over the seeming silence of Edo State government on the matter.”
ASUU also strongly advised that the salary crisis in AAU, Ekpoma be resolved now, to avoid the continual keeping of students of the university at home, after the end of the nationwide strike.
Source: The Nation
