Abakaliki: The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reiterated its call for urgent measures to improve the wellbeing of its members and learning facilities in the nation’s universities. Mr. Ikechukwu Igwenyi, ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Calabar Zone, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, emphasizing the critical need for proper funding to enhance qualitative learning.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Igwenyi expressed concerns over the establishment of new institutions by the Federal Government without adequate financial support. He highlighted the necessity of settling outstanding salaries of university workers, urging the government to pay the three and a half months of withheld lecturers’ salaries in federal institutions and varying months in state-owned universities due to their participation in the 2022 strike. Additionally, he called for the payment of promotion arrears and third-party deductions as part of the workers’ earned salaries and urged the government to sign and implement the already concluded agreement.
Igwenyi stated that ASUU could resort to strike actions, in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, to secure its demands. He criticized the government’s application of the ‘No-Work No-Pay Policy’, describing it as a violation of labor laws and a factor that exacerbates the already strained work environment. He reminded stakeholders that the last protracted strike was reluctantly suspended due to interventions and promises made by well-meaning Nigerians.
The ASUU zonal coordinator stressed that education is not merely a sector but the foundation of national development, serving as the seedbed of innovation, stability, and progress. He highlighted the need to end the victimization of ASUU members at Kogi State University, now Prince Abubakar Audu University, which has persisted for over eight years, and to address issues at Lagos State University and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Igwenyi asserted that neglecting functional education undermines both the classroom and the country’s future, emphasizing that it is a matter of commitment rather than capacity.
He concluded by noting that the 14-day ultimatum for the Federal Government to sign and implement the union’s agreement will expire on October 12, warning that stakeholders would be held accountable if the issues remain unresolved.