The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is poised to initiate a national strike as their 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government ends on Sunday. The union has been demanding improved funding for the education sector and better welfare for its members.
Quicktell News reports that ASUU members at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) protested on Tuesday, urging the Federal Government to act swiftly to prevent the impending industrial action. The protest disrupted second semester exams as union members marched and sang solidarity songs throughout the university community.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, including: ‘Let ASUU members breathe,’ ‘Pay our promotion arrears,’ ‘Adequate funding of universities, is that hard?’ ‘End ASUU strike now,’ ‘Sign Nimi Briggs MOA,’ ‘IPPIS is a fraud, migrate us now,’ and ‘Tinubu, release our revitalization fund.’ They were joined by university students showing solidarity.
Following the protest, the group assembled at the university’s Senate building, where they were received by the senior management team, including Vice Chancellor Prof. Tanko Ishaya, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), and Registrar, Dr. Rejoice Songden.
UNIJOS ASUU Vice Chairman, Prof. Kiri Jaryum, who led the protest, informed the Vice Chancellor that union members had endured ample suffering and maltreatment by the Federal Government. He stated that the union could no longer bear the situation if the government failed to address their demands by the end of the 14-day ultimatum given by ASUU’s National Executive Committee.
“Our protest today at the University of Jos is in line with the 14-day ultimatum given by the National Executive Committee of ASUU and activities to be carried out by the various branches. As we are here, other branches within the Bauchi zone of ASUU, which comprises six universities, are doing the same thing,” Jaryum said.
He handed over a 9-point demand to the Vice Chancellor for delivery to the Federal Government. The demands include paying earned academic allowances budgeted for in 2023, providing revitalization funds, and ensuring the payment of salaries for members omitted from the IPPIS platform, among others.
The Vice Chancellor expressed gratitude to ASUU members for their peaceful demonstration and affirmed his support for their demands. He assured the protesters that the protest letter would be submitted to the Federal Government verbatim, with an additional demand concerning the recent increment in electricity tariffs affecting the university.
“I can assure you that we are going to submit this protest letter by ASUU to the Federal Government verbatim. I can tell you that all the 9 points you have listed here have affected all members of the university community in one way or the other. I can tell you that some of us here are also being owed some number of months’ salaries. So, we are suffering and we understand what your demands are,” the Vice Chancellor stated.
Earlier, ASUU threatened a nationwide strike, giving the government a two-week ultimatum to reconstitute the governing councils of federal universities. While the Federal Government announced the constitution of new governing councils, ASUU rejected this action, insisting that their broader demands had not been met.
