No going back on strike if govt fails to honour agreements –ASUU

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) branch, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to implement all the components of the December 2020 memorandum of action (MoA), warning that failure to do so is a direct call for the resumption of suspended strike in the nation’s universities.

The decision was taken at ASUU-FUOYE branch congress and in reaction to the lingering failure of the Federal Government to honour the agreements reached with the union.

Principal officers present at the congress include; Olu Olu Olufayo, zonal coordinator, ASUU, Akure Zone; Yinka Awopetu, chairperson, ASUU-FUTA; Kayode Arogundade, chairperson, ASUU-EKSU and other leaders in ASUU, Akure Zone.

The statement, which was signed by the Financial Secretary, ASUU-FUOYE, Abayomi Fagbuagun, on behalf of the chairperson, Gabriel Omonijo, said the only thing that could compel the government to honour its agreements with the union is a strike.

“The government has not been sincere regarding the performance of Integrate Personnel Payroll Information System as a payment platform in that some lecturers of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti are owed salary and promotion arrears by the government.

According to him, the congress frowned at government’s insincerity in the implementation of the December 2020 MoA, most especially, the renegotiation of academic staff salaries and emoluments.

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“The current salary of academic staff is nothing to write home about when compared with what their counterparts all over the world are earning at the end of every month. The branch maintained that the only thing that could stop the resumption of strike is for the government to honour, most especially, the renegotiation components of the agreements as well as University Transparency and Accountability Solution.

“The branch has resolved that since the renegotiation has been completed, the only thing that could avert the impending strike is for the government to expedite action on the immediate implementation of the agreements reached with the union.

“ASUU-FUOYE, hereby, calls on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to honour the agreements reached with ASUU in order to prevent the imminent collapse of the educational system which is as a result of incessant strikes engendered by government’s laxity in honouring agreements.

“We are ready to speak the language the government understands to get it adhere to the agreements signed with the union. The government is hereby admonished to act fast before it is too late.”

Meanwhile, Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma chapter, yesterday, called on Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to sign the renegotiated agreement, meet the demands of the union in the interest of the development of public universities and industrial harmony or be prepared for another industrial action.

The appeal was contained in a statement by the Chairperson and the Secretary of ASUU, AAU, Ekpoma, Cyril Ozeigbe Onogbosele, and William Odion, respectively, in Benin.

The duo said the union insisted the offensive and unacceptable negative disposition of government towards public universities in the country is unacceptable and should no longer be tolerated, henceforth

They urged the government to do the needful and stop the over-recited rhetorics of unfulfilled promises and commitment to education in the country.

“The only pragmatic solution to avert the impending strike is to sign and implement the renegotiated agreements.

“Rising from a mobilisation and sensitisation congress at Ekpoma, the university lecturers expressed strong resolve and readiness to join their colleagues in other public universities in the strike to compel the government to sign the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU agreements and meet other demands of the union contained in the various relevant memorandum of understandings (MoUs).

Sun