ASUU Unizik led by Comrade Prof. Dennis Aribodor threatens strike (See full speech exclusive to odowgublog.com)

TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU), NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY BRANCH ON TUESDAY, 15TH NOVERMBER, 2016.

PROTOCOLS

Comrades and compatriots of the press, this press conference is called to address the non-implementation of the 2009 FGN - ASUU    Agreement and 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), eight and four years, respectively after the two agreements were signed. It is important to State that the Union has constantly reminded government both Federal and States of the need to implement the 2009 Agreement and 2013 MoU through series of actions including letters and visits. For example on 10th May, 2016, the Union met with the Honourable Minister of Education on a number of issues relating to the implementation of the 2009 Agreement and the 2013 MoU. The following were some of the highlights of deliberations at that meeting:
1.    Payment of Fractions of Staff Entitlements       
(a)    The 2009 FGN - -ASUU Agreement Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) had submitted a report of the outstanding balance of N65, 833,047,372.24 (2009 – 2013) plus N62, 417,645,224.23 (2014 – 2016) amounting to an unpaid balance of N128, 250,692,596.47. This was in line with the Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and ASUU while resolving the crisis of June – November, 2013. ASUU stated that the initial N30bn paid university staff as part of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) in 2013 was given to the Governing Councils, not ther Union as presented by the Ministry. The Union also corrected the impression that the record of the balance of the EAA had not been submitted by the IMC. The  Minister subsequently directed the director of Tertiary Institutions to expeditiously address the matter to enable him follow up on the matter.
(b)    Shortfall I salaries leading to payment of fractions staff salaries in universities starting from December 2015.   
(c)    Non – payment of salaries of staff in Primary Schools since December 2015 contrary to provisions of 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement       
    The Hon. Minister said the shortfall in salaries was due to display in passing the 2016 budget and the problem would be resolved with the release of the budget. On the staff Primary Schools, the Minister agreed with ASDUU that the Union did not take Government to court, but noted that the Ministry would have to await the interpretation of the 2009 FGN – ASUU Agreement in this regard. For all Universities, the shortfall in salaries still persists even though the 2016 Budget had long been-released.
2.    Funding of Universities for Revitalization: Based on the FGN – ASUU Memorandum of Understanding of November 2013, Government was in arrears of Six hundred and Sixty Billion Naira (N660bn) as at the last quarter of 2016 in respect of needs Assessment Fund for Revitalization of Public Universities. The Minister said the Federal Government would not relent in implementing the MoU and will also gradually work towards the 26% budgetary allocation recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
3.    Pension: (a) the Pension Reform Act 2014 does not completely address aspects of the 2009 FGN – ASUU Agreement which allow academics on the Professorial Cadre. (I.e. Professors and Associate Professors) to retire at 70 and also to retire with their salaries; and (b) PENCOM Management has sat on the application for licensing of NUPEMCO and this is causing serious agitation in the system. On (a), the Hon. Minister undertook to study the provision of the 2009 Agreement to enable him decide on the appropriate action to take while, on (b), the minister promised to liase with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to find out the last action taken on the NUPEMCO issue before deciding on a follow-up action on the matter.
4.    TSA and University Autonomy: With the operation of TSA, federal Universities find it extremely difficult to discharge their core responsibilities of teaching, research and community service as well engaging in international academic networking due to inadequate access to budgeted funds. TSA is incompatible with the autonomy of universities and Universities should be exempted from its implementation on account of the peculiarities of the institutions. Hon Minister agreed with ASUU on the peculiarities of Universities and promised to work with the relevant organs of government in looking into the matter.
5.    2016 Budgetary Allocation to Education: Budgetary allocation to education dropped from 12% to 11% and 8% in 2014, 2015, and 2016 respectively. Hon. Minister explained that Government believed the capital and research grants to Universities were being handled by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET Fund). He said allocation to universities had been enhanced in the revised budget and promised to make a copy of the revised budget available to the Union. However, our Union is yet to see any significant change in this respect.
6.    Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement: Government’s reluctance to set up its Negotiation Team for the review of the 2009 Agreement, as consistently requested by ASUU since 2012, was getting our members worried. The Minister said, in response to ASUU’s letter5 calling for the renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, that a memo had been forwarded to Mr. President on the issue.
Summary:     The Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) is concerned           that, six months after the meeting, there has been no meaningful     intervention to assuage the feelings of our Union on the issues raise     above.
Conclusion: The NEC of our Union, at its meeting of 12th November, 2016,     declared a one-week warning strike beginning 12:01 am tomorrow     Wednesday 16th November to 12:00 (midnight) on Tuesday 22nd     November, 2016. For the avoidance of doubt, the one – week warning     strike is to compel Government to address the following:           





    Comrade Prof. Dennis Aribodor
                                 Chairman


                         10th November, 2016