The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi State, yesterday staged a peaceful protest, urging President Bola Tinubu to implement the Prof. Nimi Briggs recommendation on renegotiating salaries for academic staff of federal universities.
The protesting members marched from their secretariat in the Yelwa campus to the main gate, holding placards with various inscriptions to draw attention to their plight over the years.
Chairman Comrade Ibrahim Inuwa said non-implementation of the agreement has implications, especially by denying academics a wage consistent with current economic realities, continued poor funding of universities, and respect for academic freedom.
Inuwa lamented that ASUU members have remained on the same salary scale for 15 years, with all efforts at renegotiation failing, thereby leaving them stagnant. He explained that the demand for renegotiation of the pay package is anchored on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 98, which provides for the principle of collective bargaining.
He said: “Following the FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement, it was stipulated that the agreement would be reviewed every three years. However, the union has been without a renegotiated agreement in the past 15 years.
“But after much effort and pressure on the government, a renegotiation committee was set up under the chairmanship of Wale Babalakin in 2017. However, this committee failed to conclude its assignment within the agreed time.
“Two other committees, headed by Prof. Munzali Jibrin and the late Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs, negotiated and produced draft agreements, but the process was halted before finalising the reviewed agreement. Since 2021, the document has remained in draft form.”
The ASUU-LASUSTECH also supported the national directive, demanding that the Federal Government complies with the union’s demands.
At a news conference at the Ikorodu campus, the union reiterated its solidarity with the national body on critical issues, decrying the Federal Government’s insensitivity to its longstanding demands, including funding for university revitalisation, infrastructure upgrade among others.
The Chairman, Tayo Okulaja, also highlighted grievances over delayed salaries and discrepancies in remuneration structure.
“The implementation of IPPIS has exacerbated issues, denying due allowances and affecting sabbatical arrangements,” Okulaja added.
He also assured students that strike actions are for their welfare and academic advancement.