The initial gra gra by the then Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige in refusing to direct payment of salaries to Nigerian universities’ lecturers faded off with his exit from power in May 2023.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off its members to down tools and they abandoned the classrooms for eight months.
Despite negotiations and concessions, the ASUU members did not shift ground and the Federal Government delegation did not cave into ASUU’s stance.
Hence, the lecturers were unpaid for failing to register with IPPIS resulting in the government’s invocation ‘‘No work, no pay’’ directive against the striking lecturers.
Confirming the development in a chat with journalist, the National President of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, said only few members of his union have so far been paid two months out of the seven months’ withheld salaries of the academic staffers.
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“Yes, I can say that our members started getting alerts for two months early today, Sunday, but only few have so far got that. As I speak with you, I have not got any alert. We may not be able to confirm the number of people that have been paid until during the week when we hope to assess the situation.
‘‘The number of months being withheld is seven. We got information that the President approved the payment of four months but as at today, those who have got anything only got two months. That is what the situation is as at now,” he said.
Confirming the information too, the chairperson of ASUU at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed the development.
“Yes, it is true. Payment has started rolling in,” Bolarin averred.
46 Professors die- ASUU
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Abuja zone, on Monday, lamented the death of some of its members owing to Economic hardship in the country alongside poor remuneration of academics and unfavourable working conditions.
The union said no fewer than 46 academics lost their lives in universities under the Abuja zone, namely the University of Abuja, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State University, Nasarawa, and the Ibrahim Babaginda University, Lapai.
The union said it recently lost an eminent Professor of Fisheries, Johnson Oyero, of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, due to the inability to afford quality medical facilities.
The zonal coordinator, ASUU, Abuja zone, Salahu Muhammed made this known in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja.
“In the last decade, more Nigerian academics are leaving the country in droves in search of greener pastures, thereby overworking the patriotic ones that remain in the system whose level of patriotism is dwindling on a daily basis due to poor remuneration and working conditions.
“It is also worthy of note that the union has lost several members during the period under review due to herculean working conditions, psychological and emotional stress, and diseases related to these conditions. For instance, universities in the Abuja zone have lost 46 members.
“In fact, just two days back, the union lost an eminent Professor of Fisheries, Johnson Oyero of the Federal University of Technology, Minna due to inability to afford quality medical facility.”
Recall that seven months’ salaries of academic staff in public universities were withheld by the federal government following the eight-month industrial action by university academic staff in 2022.
The salaries were withheld when the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against ASUU and SSANU who embarked on a strike that lasted eight months in 2022.
However, President Bola Tinubu, in October 2023 approved the release of four of the eight months ASUU’s withheld salaries.
SSANU Threatens strike
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has said it will ground activities in universities across the country if the withheld salaries of its members are not paid.
This was in reaction to the exclusion of members of SSANU from the payment of the withheld salaries by the Federal Government which only commenced payment for the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday.
However, the National President of SSANU, Mr.Mohammed Ibrahim, in an interview with The PUNCH complained bitterly about the union’s exclusion from the payment of the withheld salaries.
He insisted that it was a great injustice against SSANU, saying the union was in no way angry that ASUU was paid but it deserved to be paid too.
Ibrahim said, “This is just terrible, we found out that only ASUU’s payment was approved. As it is, there is tension on all the campuses we are not angry that they are paying ASUU, but they should know that it is not only ASUU that went on strike.
Why should our case be different? The government should pay everyone who works in the university. We can’t guarantee continuous peace in our universities. We have written to the Chief of Staff and Minister of Education and we escalated it to Nigeria Labour Congress. There is a palpable danger if SSANU are not paid their backlog.”
He also said it was confirmed at the office of the Accountant General and IPPIS that it was only ASUU’s payment that was approved.
“We found out at the Chief Accountant General office that it was only ASUU that was approved, we also have confirmation from IPPIS that the payment does not include SSANU.”
He hinted that SSANU members would meet today ( Tuesday) to take a decision on the development.
Ibrahim said, “Our members will meet tonight, or tomorrow morning to decide. We are under pressure; this is a clear injustice as no university can operate without the non-teaching staff.”
Also, National Vice-President, SSANU, Abdussobur Salaam, said, “The Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU should therefore not be held responsible should the wheel of administration and corporate governance be grounded to a halt, as we have exercised enough patience with the government, especially in the face of the harsh economic conditions occasioned by policies of the current administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
