“Why We Declare Lecture Free Day” _ ASUU BSU ASUU: ‘unaware of the declaration’
By Prosper Okoye –
The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), has said that it has not yet decided, if the Union will embark on another nation wide strike action.
President of ASUU, professor Emmanuel Osodeke, while speaking recently, revealed that the lecture free day that was declared, was to bring the situation between ASUU and Nigeria’s Federal Government, to public awareness.
He alleged that the government has not implemented the Memorandum of Understanding signed as of March 2020, when the union called off the last strike it had embarked on.
Meanwhile the Federal Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige who had always been on the fore-front of ASUU negotiations with the Federal government, had stated in an interview on BBC, that the government had paid the agreed sum of money to the affected universities.
Prof Osodeke said Nigerian universities are still underdeveloped and understaffed despite the efforts the union are making to cause progress, the government keeps destroying the system.
He argued that there is one lecturer to over 30 students in Nigerian universities, whereas in other countries there is one lecturer to just about five to 10 students.
Osodeke also lamented the non-increment of university lecturers salaries. “Professors in Nigeria are still on the same salary paid since 2009 in the year 2022, is this fair?
“But the government has increased their salaries several times since then, and just recently they have doubled the travel allowance they collect.
“They spend huge amount of money on themselves and abandon a critical sector like education. No serious country behaves this way.” Osodeke stated.
The president of ASUU highlighted other unresolved issues that has prompted the University lecture-free-day declaration.
No capital project implementation in universities, except the ones funded by TETFund.
Government unwillingness to fulfil the 2019 FGN-ASUU agreement, which stated that university infrastructures be renovated.
Non-construction of new university hostels, classrooms, laboratories, and office complexes for lecturers.
Non-payment of earned academic allowances.
Non-compliance to setup a visitation panel that will monitor the spending of fiscal allocations to schools.
Introduction of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
Non-payment of salary arrears of ASUU members
Some universities in Nigeria has started the implementation of the declared lecture free day as a protest to an alleged Federal Government injustices on Nigerian universities.
In the same vein, the Public Relations Officer of the Benue State University, Tser Vanger, has debunk the recent rumour of an impending strike action in the University, which had began after the indefinite postponement of the university’s 2021/2022 matriculation exercise, initially slated for 11th Feb. 2022.
The PRO said the postponement was made because some new students have not completed their registration. He added that, “the University has chosen a new date for her matriculation, this will soon be officially communicated.”
Benue State University ASUU Chairman, Kwaghfan Tarnongu, when contacted, said, “the chapter does not know about the lecture-free-day declaration.”
He however said, the Chapter observes lecture free days when it holds her Congress.
Mr. Tarnongu revealed that ASUU will hold a general Congress by weekend, to decide on the issue of a Nationwide strike action.
