The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday declared that it will take actions on the Federal Government’s failure to meet its demand in the next 48 hours.
President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made this disclosure while speaking with newsmen on Sunday.
The labour leader pointed out that the union will conclude its consultation with various branches across the federation and subsequently make its position known.
The union met with Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who served as the Chief conciliator between ASUU and the Federal Ministry of Education on October 14, 2021 on a wide range of issues.
The issues include: funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution, and promotion arrears.
Other issues are renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, and the inconsistencies in Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) payment.
Subsequently, the union’s National Executive Council met behind a closed-door at the University of Abuja on November 13 and 14 where the issues were reviewed.
Africa Daily News, New York recalls that the Federal Government promised to pay N22.1bn Earned Allowances to university workers, and N30bn as revitalisation fund to universities.
The union had on November 15 given the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum, saying the treatment meted out on university lecturers has left them with no choice other than industrial action.
Osodeke, while addressing reporters, described government as unfaithful over the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with the union upon which last year’s strike action was suspended.
Osodeke said, ‘Since they (government) didn’t meet our requests, we are going through our normal procedures. We will go through our branches, we are going to be back from them tomorrow.
‘From there, whatever comes out of it, we are going to take actions we are supposed to take. Though, the principal officers don’t take decisions about strike, the decisions are taken from bottom to up not up to the bottom.
‘Now that our ultimatum has expired, we are going back to them (branches), what they ask us to do, we will do; whatever actions they say we should take, we will take.’
The decision of the union is being awaited.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
