From TCNEWS
The National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has called on government to urgently review all International money lending agencies – International Monetary Fund, IMF and World Bank sponsored economic policies which they alleged are increasingly degrading the quality of life of Nigerians.
The NEC of ASUU also reiterated its rejection of the Students’ Loan scheme which is being promoted by the IMF and World Bank, warning that it is a way of starving public universities of funding and a ploy to divert public funds into private universities owned by “politically-exposed individuals and their friends”.
The National President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke who stated these at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike MOUAU on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Union’s recent NEC meeting, called on government to also accelerate the process of arriving at a minimum living wage as demanded by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
The ASUU President who also torched/touched on the renegotiation of Federal Government and ASUU 2009 Agreement; Withheld salary; Arrears of earned academic allowances; Illegal dissolution of governing councils; Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System; Core curriculum minimum academic standard; Proliferation of Universities; Victimization and threats at Federal University of Technology, FUTO Owerri; TETFUND intervention; Underfunding of Universities; and Deepening socioeconomic crisis, described as ‘reckless and excessive’, the mass establishment of Universities in the country.
Prof. Osodeke who also accused the Vice Chancellor of FUTO, Professor Nnenna Oti of victimizing the members of ASUU in the Federal University, called for the stripping of former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isah Patami, as a full-time Professor, saying that the Vice Chancellor and Management of FUTO were wrong to award a serving Minister as a Professor.
Professor Osodeke, who further lamented that University education was suffering of total neglect by the government, wondered why the Federal and State governments are establishing more universities without making adequate provision for their fundings, alleging also that many of the new institutions were only established for political reasons.
ASUU President regretted that the ugly trend has put much stress on intervention funds of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), alleging that such new Universities are being established with money diverted from TETFUND.
He also raised the alarm that the Federal government is planning to re-introduce the controversial Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPS), saying that the January 2024 salaries paid to the ASUU members indicated “new IPPS”.
The Union boss demanded the payment of withheld seven and half months salaries of its members, payment of earned academic allowances and equally condemned Federal government for dissolving Governing Councils of Universities.
He expressed worry that public universities are being underfunded by the Federal and State governments, leaving the student population and Nigerian education sector to suffer at large.
