The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) weekend threatened that its members may soon withdraw their services over the alleged refusal of the federal government to pay their salaries after suspending the prolonged nationwide strike.
In a statement by the chairman, University of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Akinwole, ASUU accused the federal government of refusing to pay salaries of between two – 10 months.
The union said: “If pushed to the limit, withdrawal of work in the nearest future may be inevitable, the federal government and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation are now victimising the union members through refusal to pay them salaries.
Lamenting that despite suspending the strike on “no victimisation clause” with ASUU members back to their duty posts to work,” the harsh economic hardship being experienced due to unpaid salaries and non-refund of deducted check-off dues will affect productivity. The federal government has refused to remit union deductions it made to the account of the union with plans to stifle the union.
“On December 23, 2020, ASUU conditionally suspended (with effect from 12:01 am on Thursday, 24th December,2020) its 9-month 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”,
ASUU added, “The suspension of the strike was based on an agreement reached and a ‘Memorandum of Action ‘ signed in good faith between the government and the ASUU at the stakeholders’ meeting held on 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. On the part of ASUU, the union undertook to go back to the classrooms, laboratories, workshops, workstations etc and to do the best for the students and the country”.
ASUU stated that :”The government is both federal and state and they are to fulfill their own part of the bargain, a major part which is the no victimisation clause. While ASUU as a union, and her members as individuals in various branches have remained faithful to this agreement by returning to classes and performing their respective duties, the federal government, true to type, has reneged on its part “.
The union stated that: “Contrary to FGN affirmation of its commitment to pay all withheld salaries of ASUU members who have not enrolled in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information system (IPPIS),three months after the suspension of strike, thousands of ASUU members across various branch are still being owed salaries”,
Confirming that government is defraying the generally withheld five month salaries at an agonisingly slow rate of one outstanding salary per month, ASUU said the salaries of some members running to hundreds have been permanently and consistently withheld by the office of Accountant general of the federation (OAGF).
The union said 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.
“This government has again reneged on its agreement with ASUU and can no longer be trusted. Since the suspension of strike, three months ago, none 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.”
