By Cross Udo, Abuja
There were indications on Monday that the university academic calendar may be disrupted following the alleged plan by the Federal Government to renegotiate with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) without carrying along the other three university-based unions.
The three unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
It was reliably gathered that the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting with ASUU for August 28 to unveil a renegotiated agreement and meet the union’s deadline.
The last negotiation between the Federal Government and the university-based unions, where agreements were reached on the welfare of workers, was in 2009 and has been long overdue for a review.
The four unions have, on different occasions, called on the government to complete the Yahaye Ahmed-led renegotiation team and have even separately threatened to go on strike if the government refuses to take the necessary actions in this regard.
Besides, ASUU had warned the government on August 21 of the serious consequences of not attending to their demands, threatening to embark on strike if the government did not take positive action.
After a series of appeals to no avail, in a statement signed by its President, Christopher Piwuna, the Union issued a threat to the government with August 28 as the deadline.
The statement partly read, “ASUU-NEC appreciates the patience and forbearance of our membership since the last referendum. But the government cannot keep the Union talking forever. The general public is invited to note that ASUU has tried several ways and strategies to resolve the conflict in the education sector.
“The general public should also note that ASUU has written several letters to the FGM drawing its attention to the need to resolve the crisis amicably. Lamentably, the FGM has always turned a deaf ear to all our pleas.
“As always, it is the FGN that has consistently pushed our Union to embark on a strike action, and it is clear that ASUU may have no other option as to embark on an action to press the FGN to listen to our demands and do the needful.
“For the benefit of the doubt, these issues include: Renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, Sustainable funding of our universities, Revitalisation of universities, Victimisation of our colleagues in LASU, KSU(now Prince Abubakar Audu University) and FUTON, Outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, promotion arrears for over four years.”
It was gathered that the threat has prompted the government to schedule a meeting with the university teaching staff on Thursday, August 28, to meet the deadline issued by ASUU.
It was further gathered that the government has not said anything to the non-teaching staff, a development that has created animosity, anger, and tension in the university.
Recall that the bad blood generated by the sharing formula of the ₦50 billion Earned Allowances, released to the four university-based unions, where the teaching staff were given 80 per cent of the money and the three non-teaching unions were given 20 per cent, is yet to be settled.
Infuriated by the development, the President of SSANU and Chairman of the Joint Action Committee, JAC (comprising SSANU and NASU), Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, has warned the government not to introduce any disparity in the salary template that could jeopardise the relative peace within the academic environment.
Ibrahim said that while there is a uniform salary template for university workers, there are allowances that differentiate the teaching and non-teaching staff.
Speaking on the alleged plan by the Federal Government to unveil a renegotiated agreement with ASUU, excluding the other unions, Ibrahim said such action will not augur well with the sector.
He said, “If it is true, it is like the other case of 80/20 (Sharing formula of the ₦50 billion Earned Allowances released to University-based unions where the Federal Government gave ASUU 80 per cent of the money and the other three unions 20 per cent). The government has not met with us, and even the Yahale Ahmed team. The Minister has just taken over their job and allocated resources to appease them. He has been bragging that ASUU cannot go on strike again.
“We have always fought against disparity, the university system has always been the same, we have the same salary table for a Professor and somebody who is a director. A professor’s earnings are the same as those of a Level 16 in the university, as they are at par.
“A graduate assistant earns the same as an admin assistant. So, what they are trying to do now is to separate the table and make a quantum increment for the teaching staff and then give out a paltry sum of about 10 per cent increment, while ASUU’s own will be about 100 per cent.
“The people around the Minister have told him that it’s not a good thing to contemplate, but he is not afraid of us again because his own issue is that of the ASUU.
“SSANU warns the government against any attempt to create a disparity. Any attempt to create disparity in our salaries will not bring peace to our system. Let the salary remain the same as always, but allowances differentiate us. There is a teaching allowance for the teaching staff, as well as an allowance for the non-teaching staff. No non-teaching staff can go and claim any allowance from the teaching staff.”
