Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign and implement the renegotiated 2009 ASUU – FGN agreement in line with the Collective Bargaining Principles as enshrined in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention.
ASUU said that should the President heed to the appeal and act accordingly, it would save the nation’s public universities from total collapse.
The union added that it would also ensure that lecturers were not goaded into another round of avoidable strike by their conditions of service.
The Coordinator of the Lagos zone of ASUU, Prof. Adelaja Odukoya made the appeal yesterday while addressing the press at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Ago Iwoye, Ogun State.
In attendance at the conference were the 7 branch Chairmen – Prof. Kayode Adebayo (University of Lagos), Dr. Isaac Oyewunmi(Lagos State University, Ojo), Dr. Akolade Lapite (Lagos State University of Education), Dr. Tayo Okulaja(Lagos State University of Technology), Dr. Gbenga Akinleye(Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Dr. Wale Ositoye(Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun) and Dr. Wasiu Olooto (OOU).
Also in attendance were the immediate past branch chairmen of the ASUU – Dr. Joel Okewale (OOU), Dr. Dele Ashiru(UNILAG) and Dr. Olusiji Sowande, former zonal coordinator.
Prof. Odukoya said the union was seeking an interface with the President on how to resolve all issues plaguing the public universities in Nigeria.
He noted that by not signing and implementing the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN since 2021 after it was concluded and which both government and ASUU committed massive resources to at the time, the government had tasked the ASUU’s patience beyond bearable limit.
He urged the Tinubu-led Federal Government to without further delay, set in motion machineries for the quick signing and implementation of the agreement to avoid another round of industrial crises in the nation’s public universities.
He identified other issues requiring urgent attention of the Tinubu’s administration as poor funding and proliferation of state and federal universities, non – release of monthly subventions, irregular payment of staff salaries, decayed and dilapidated infrastructures, non-payment/release of check-off and other third party deductions etc.
The Lagos zone coordinator lamented that visitors of federal and state universities have turned establishment of universities to constituency projects.
He said, “For the umpteenth time, our Union again call the attention of the public to the insincere proliferation and mushrooming of universities by both the Federal Government and Visitors to State Universities. The most disturbing aspect of this anomaly is that while most Governments, at Federal and State levels have not been adequately funding existing universities (inadequate subventions; non-release of monthly subventions; irregular payment of staff salaries, decayed and dilapidated infrastructures, non-payment/release of check-off and other third party deductions etc.), Visitors of Federal and State universities have turned establishment of universities to constituency projects.