Congresses of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in various chapters in the South-West geo-political zone and in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have held with a common resolution that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union should declare a total, indefinite and comprehensive strike.
The congresses are being held across the various universities ahead of Sunday’s meeting of NEC where a decision on suspension or continuation of the strike will be taken based on the accumulation of the positions of various chapters across the country.
Between Monday and Wednesday, congresses have been held at the University of Ibadan; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso; University of Ilorin, University of Abuja and the University of Lagos with members voting that the ongoing strike be rolled over into indefinite strike.
At the various congresses, the ASUU members considered the offer of the federal government which they described as a far cry from the proposed agreement submitted to the government by the Nimi Briggs-led committee.
Members further hinged their displeasure on the government’s failure to appreciate the magnitude of the problem in the university system and foot-dragging in releasing the white paper on the visitation panel.
In rejecting the government’s ‘award’, the ASUU members vented their anger but voted for consider collective bargaining.
The union members decried the ‘take-it-or-leave-it,’ ‘miserly,’ offer of the federal government, urging the government to return to the new draft agreement of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Renegotiation committee.
In various conversations, the union heads across universities maintained that they do not accept awarded salary, noting that the separate salary structure in all FGN/ASUU agreements are usually the outcome of collective bargaining processes.
They also questioned the proposed release of N170billion revitalisation fund as contained in the 2020 Memorandum of Action that all monetary implications for implementation have been captured in the 2023 budget.
Among others, the ASUU members expressed concern that the government is still unwilling to deploy the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) but is intent on setting up a technical committee to review the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS).