The Ibadan zonal coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke, who made the call at the University of Ibadan (UI), said there has not been any serious effort to address the issues, which led to previous strike actions, especially that of February to October 2022.
Oyegoke highlighted the issues to include non-completion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement; inadequate funding of public universities; non-release of arrears of earned academic allowances (EAA); the albatross of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS); proliferation of universities, and arbitrary dissolution of governing councils of public universities.
According to him, the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement contained a road map for addressing the crisis in public universities in Nigeria. Thus, it provided a template for funding public universities for their revitalisation.
Oyegoke said: “It is no longer a secret that our negotiated salary has not changed since 2009. The government, instead of committing itself to negotiated welfare packages, has irreverently maintained lines of frustration, blackmail, and use of hunger as a weapon to weaken our struggles.”
He noted that since 2017, various committees have been put in place by the government to renegotiate the agreement with ASUU, but expressed regrets that none of the reports have so far been implemented.
“Unfortunately, the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, instead of implementing the Briggs agreement announced 25 and 35 per cents wage award, which was never implemented till his exit on May 29, 2023. This has led to the pauperisation of academics in Nigeria,” Oyegoke said.
