FG has failed to review our salaries for over 13 years — ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the Federal Government (FG) is yet to review its members’ salaries for the past 13 years, after the 2009 agreement.

Chairperson of the ASUU, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi Chapter, Dr. Ibrahim Ibrahim Inuwa, yesterday, said the unfulfilled 2009 agreement that was reached by the government, provided that lecturers’ salaries should be reviewed every three years, in accordance with economic reality and current dollar exchange rate.

Inuwa said 13 years ago, the government only released N200b, during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration from the Renegotiation of 2009 Agreement.

He said the government has only been releasing “amount that is not above N50b” which, he said, many varieties were unable to benefit from.

“Some issues on the table include the renegotiation agreement of 2009; revitalisation fund; forceful enrolment into Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and proliferation of universities, among others.

“We set up a committee. The committee’s report was reviewed by the two parties: the government and ASUU. It got to a stage that every party returned to its leaders, but the government is subjecting the report to another review by another committee. The government claimed it would be forwarded to the President for his assent, after that. The government is dragging its feet, but we will continue to push…”

Inuwa said more than 13 members of the union in Bauchi were yet to get a promotion allowance, which ranged between 15 and 20 months.

Reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s plea with the union to shelve its planned strike, Inuwa said there was no need for him to do such, but to be more committed to education and the varsity lecturers’ plight.

He appealed to religious and traditional leaders to prevail on the government to do “what is right.”