The Academic Staff Union of Universities has blamed the Federal Government and the Accountant General of the Federation for what it described as the victimization of its members as the government refused to pay their salaries despite the ‘no victimisation clause’ agreed upon during the suspension of the strike.
ASUU said while its members are back to duty posts, the harsh economy being experienced due to unpaid salaries and non-refund of deducted check-off dues will affect productivity.
The Chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, said the Federal Government failed to remit the deductions it made to the account of the Union with a plan to stiffle them.
The Union, however warned that if pushed to the limit, “withdrawal of work in the nearest future may be inevitable.”
Akinwole said while government is paying outstanding five months salaries for those on nominal role at an agonisingly slow pace, over 100 UI academic staff are being owed salaries between two to 10 months.
He said those newly employed in February 2020 have not received money with their families and dependants suffering over their rejection of enrolment on the IPPIS.
The ASUU chief said, “On December 23, 2020, ASUU conditionally suspended (with effect from 12:01 am on Thursday, 24th December, 2020) its 9-months old strike action which it began in March 23rd 2020 owing to the failure of the Nigerian Government to address the outstanding issues as outlined in the collective bargaining agreements of 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2019 freely reached and signed between the government and ASUU.
“The suspension of the strike was based on an agreement reached and a ‘Memorandum of Action’ signed in good faith between the government and ASUU at the stakeholders’ meeting held on the Tuesday, 22nd December, 2020. A major common position agreed to (and expected to be respected) by the government and ASUU was that nobody shall be victimised in any way whatsoever for his/her role in the process leading to the Memorandum of Action.”
The agreement reached on the 22nd December 2020 imposed some obligations on both the Government and ASUU. ASUU undertook to go back to the classrooms, laboratories, workshops, workstations etc., to teach while both the state and federal governments are to fulfil their own part of the bargain.
He said while ASUU as a Union, and her members as individuals in various branches have remain faithful to this agreement by returning to classes and performing their respective duties, the Federal Government reneged on its part.
While confirming that government defrays the withheld five months salaries at ‘an agonisingly slow rate,’ the salaries of some members have been withheld by the office of Accountant General of the Federation, he alleged that “Officials of the OAGF keep adducing flimsy untenable reasons for the perpetual non- payment of salaries, demanding loads of paperwork and documents both from the union and the bursary unit of the various universities as well as the university administration.
“The requested documents have consistently been provided on a monthly basis yet the salaries remain unpaid. In the University of Ibadan, March 10, 2021, 67 ASUU members that are on regular nominal payroll have their salaries ranging from two to 10 months still unpaid as at March 10, 2020. Over 80 ASUU-UI members in the faculty of veterinary medicine have their medical allowances of over eight months still unpaid.
“Ten sabbatical lecturers including an expatriate from Europe are being owed salaries of between two to twelve months. Fifteen lecturers who resumed duty in the university of Ibadan on fresh appointment are early last year yet to be paid a dime thirteen months after taking up and discharging their duties. All these are fallout of the union members not enrolling on the government IPPIS.
Government has again reneged on its agreement with ASUU and can no longer be trusted. Since the suspension of strike, three months ago, non of the issues in contention has been completely attended to.
“Despite the non-subscription nor registration of most ASUU members on the national housing fund (NHF)scheme, the OAGF has failed not only to refund the illegally deducted NHF contribution from ASUU members salaries since February 2020,the NHF deductions is still being made from the salaries of members.”
