ASUU vows not to allow FG, states destroy public varsities ….. says Union does not love strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has vowed not to stand idly and allow the university system in the country to be destroyed by both the Federal and state governments.

The Chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of the union, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, who made the declaration when he led other members of the union to protest against the precarious conditions under which lecturers work, maintained that the union has a duty to defend university education in Nigeria and safeguard knowledge production for future generations.

He criticised the fraudulent deduction of monies meant for unions and cooperative societies to which members belong without remitting them since 2020.

According to him, “Members of the Union subscribe to unions, cooperatives, and other societies within their respective universities, where they pay monthly check-off dues, deductions, contributions, etc. In accordance with labor laws and industrial best practices, these third-party deductions are deducted directly from their salaries and should be remitted to the beneficiary unions and societies.

“Due to the challenges with IPPIS, these dues have been deducted by IPPIS operators since February 2020, yet many of these deductions have not been remitted. This is not only sabotage but also fraudulent.

“We cannot allow the university system in Nigeria to be destroyed by successive transient governments. It is our historic duty as intellectuals to defend university education in Nigeria and protect knowledge production for future generations.”

Akinwole urged the government to ulitize the new window of opportunity presented to it by the Union to resolve all outstanding issues in order to avert industrial crisis in public universities.

The Chairman of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapter of the union, Dr. Babatunde Lawal, while speaking in the same vein, urged both Federal and state governments to prioritize funding for tertiary education.

He insisted that the union’s demands are legitimate, stressing the ongoing rejection of IPPIS by the union.

He said, “IPPIS violates university autonomy and the Acts establishing universities. In addition to this illegality, IPPIS is notorious for its fraudulent practices that impose undue hardship on Nigerian academics and disrupt university operations in payroll management.

“ASUU continues to reject IPPIS. We are concerned that more than four months after the government directed federal universities and other tertiary institutions to exit the discredited payment platform, our members’ salaries are still arbitrarily withheld. Moreover, third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, pension deductions, and union check-off dues) remain unreleased. The platform, under the guise of ‘New IPPIS,’ continues to be used contrary to the Federal Executive Council’s directive.”