Academics applaud release of third-party deductions
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi zone, has refuted the claim by the Federal Government that there is a paucity of funds, which makes it unable to meet the full salary demands of universities.
ASUU expressed its disagreement just as the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) commended the Federal Government for the release of third-party deductions owed to its members.
Refuting the government’s claim, ASUU argued that it was not the lack of funds but the lack of political will and misplacement of priorities that made education suffer in the country.
ASUU’s view was expressed by the Coordinator, Bauchi Zone of the union, Prof. Timothy Namu, while addressing journalists in Jos.
According to Namu, in 2022, the data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee showed that states received N3.92 trillion, while the figures in 2024 rose to N5.81 trillion, an increase of over 62 per cent.
“Similarly, the Federal Government received N3.42 trillion in 2022 and N4.65 trillion in 2024, an increase of over 70 per cent. These statistics confirm that it is not the lack of funds but the lack of political will and misplacement of priorities that make education suffer in Nigeria,” he asserted.
MEANWHILE, CONUA has commended the Federal Government for the release of third-party deductions owed to its members. In a statement issued yesterday by its President, Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA described the initiative as a positive development towards resolving the long-standing concerns raised by the union, adding that it would contribute to rebuilding confidence in government-union relations.
Describing the payment as one of the ‘low-hanging issues,’ Sunmonu, however, urged the Federal Government to expedite action on other unresolved issues, which, he said, were critical to sustaining industrial harmony and ensuring fairness across the system.
He condemned the continued withholding of salaries for the period during which its members neither called for nor participated in any strike, arguing that the action violated Section 43(1b) of the Trade Disputes Act, which protects employees during employer-initiated lockouts.
Speaking on the situation in Nigerian universities, Sunmonu described it as “sobering,” noting that the system was under severe strain. He said: “Severe brain drain is depleting universities of skilled academics at an alarming rate. Most universities are top-heavy, with far too few young academics entering the profession. Recruitment into academia is at its lowest in decades due to poor remuneration and unattractive working conditions and mentorship gaps are widening, threatening the continuity of research culture and academic standards.”
He stressed that reversing the decline will require a comprehensive review of academic remuneration, arguing that salaries must reflect current socio-economic realities and be competitive at both regional and global levels.
