ASUU don start fresh two-week warning strike across all di universities for Nigeria
Di Academic Staff Union of Universities (Asuu) don start fresh two-week warning strike across all di universities for Nigeria.
Asuu National President, Chris Piwuna, say di Nigeria govment don show say dem no send dem wey be university lecturers so dem no get anoda choice but to strike.
"Asuu members for both federal and state universities don hold rallies and carry placards for dia campuses to press di govment to address di issues wey don linger for di university system, but nothing come out of all dis rallies and beg," Piwuna tok for one press conference for di University of Abuja on Sunday.
"Wetin dey clear for now be say both di federal and state govments get strong habit of paying little or no attention to di education sector in general and di welfare of university academics in particular," e tok.
Wetin Asuu want
For one TV interview, oga Piwuna, wey be professor of medicine for di University of Jos say, govment don implement some of di demands wey Asuu members bin don dey make ova di years, but di major ones dem still neva touch dem.
Some of di ones wey govment don do na to stop di creation of more and more universities, wey di federal govment bin ban for seven years for August dis year.
Anoda one na di issue of earned allowances for Asuu members, wey Piwuna say di total amount bifor na around 103 billion naira, but during negotiation, Asuu members decide to give up more dan half of di amount bifor govment eventually release 50 billion naira to dem.
However, Piwuna also tok about di issue of di revitalisation fund wey di govment dey owe Asuu about 150 billion naira and promise say dem go pay am for three tranches of 50 billion each.
"Di minister (of education, Tunji Alausa) don tell us say dem don release di first 50 billion but e neva reach us, so we no know weda we go tok dat particular item or we go wait until di money reach di universities," Piwuna tok.
Di oda issues wey dem neva resolve include: promotion arrears, third-party deductions, di issue of 25-35 percent salary increase for 12 months, di issue of three and half months withheld salaries of our last actions wey we don do di work, dis tins still remain, according to di Asuu national president.
"Our 2009 agreement wey di renegotiation don dey on since eight years, dem neva finish am, and two days bifor di strike, dem come to appeal to us, di appeal come too late," e tok.
Piwuna say Asuu no trust govment to do wetin dem promise. E say di govment dey treat dem like football wey dem fit kick around aniwia dem want.
'No work, no pay' - Federal govment reply
Di Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, don beg Asuu make dem reconsider dia strike, as e promise say di govment don already dey chook eye for dia demands.
Alausa say dem don reconstitute di committee wey dey liase between di govment and di labour unions for tertiary education institutions both academic and non-academic, both universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
According to di minister, President Bola Tinubu don give directives say make dem make all efforts to avoid anoda disruption for di tertiary institutions for di kontri.
Also, one tok-tok pesin for di Ministry of Education wey her name na Folasade Boriowo, release statement wia she claim say di Federal Government don make ogbonge offer to Asuu but di union neva respond.
Boriowo say both di Minister and di Minister of State for Education "don continue to prioritise di welfare of university staff and di stability of di academic calendar under di Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu" and she add say "dialogue na still di most effective and sustainable path to resolving disagreements".
"Di "no work, no pay" policy na still di extant labour law of di Federal Republic of Nigeria, and govment go dey guided by dis law if academic activities dey disrupted for di nation universities," Boriowo tok.
Promise and fail?
During im campaign for di 2023 presidential election, Bola Tinubu bin promise say Asuu strike no go eva hapun if e bicom president of Nigeria.
Strike by university labour unions for Nigeria - both Asuu and di Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (Nasu) na regular tin under previous administrations, and im promise to end am follow for wetin boost Tinubu chances for di election.
"We go make sure say education for di university, four years go be four years, (we go bring) end to di strikes," Tinubu tok during im campaign for Yobe State for January 2023.
Also, for 15 February 2023, just 10 days bifor di presidential election, Tinubu make dis promise again for im campaign for Owerri, Imo State.
"We no go get Asuu strike any longer for Nigeria. All courses go finish as and wen due. For instance, all courses wey suppose last for four years go finish at di end of di four years for university," e promise.
For im presidential campaign manifesto, Tinubu bin promise to "reform di education sector by focusing on... quality, access, funding, management, effectiveness, and competitiveness".
More recently, oga Minister of Education Tunji Alausa, bin boast for one TV interview in July dis year say "not again, not again eva for dis country wey Asuu or tertiary institutions, trade unions, teachers, lecturers go embark on strike".
Dis strike go be di first one wey Asuu dey go under Tinubu presidency, even though di Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and di Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) don also go strike several times.
Asuu strikes for Nigeria
Di last Asuu strike bin hapun under di administration of late Muhammadu Buhari, from 14 February to 14 October 2022 - eight months.
Na still di same issues of di 2009 agreement between Asuu and govment, di university revitalization funds, and earned academic allowances, bin cause dat strike.
Also Asuu bin dey demand make govment comot dem from di Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and enrol dem for di University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
Bifor dat one, in 2020, Asuu also go on strike for straight nine months wey be di duration of one full academic session. Di strike last from 9 March to December 23 and e dey considered as di longest since di union form.
Di current Academic Staff Union of Universities (Asuu) bin start as di National Association of University Teachers (NAUT) in January 1965, and dat time na only five Federal Universities dey for Nigeria.
Dia first strike hapun on 16 April, 1973 as dem demand for beta conditions of service afta dem bin don negotiate wit di authorities for four years witout positive results.
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