Why we embarked on two weeks warning strike, by ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said it decided to call its members out for a two-week warning strike because of the Federal Government’s inability to pay salaries of lecturers who are not enrolled into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), among other outstanding issues.

The decision to embark on the strike, which began yesterday, was reached at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union held at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, the national president of the union, Comrade Biodun Ogunyemi, explained that the warning strike was also to compel the Federal Government to implement the outstanding agreement and resolution of the Memorandum of Action it had with the union in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2019.

“Having discussed the provisions in the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the 2017 Memorandum of Action (MoA) which have not been implemented, NEC resolved to embark on two weeks warning strike with effect from Monday 9th March, 2020, to compel the government to implement the agreement and resolution,” he said

According to Ogunyemi, the strike should move the Federal Government to honour its agreements. He alleged that government’s attempt to dictate for the university system had continued to erode its autonomy and making them incapable of delivering on respective mandates in teaching, research and service.

He frowned at the insistence by the Federal Government to impose the IPPIS on universities, even when the idea had been criticized and rejected by the stakeholders.

On the state of the nation, ASUU said insecurity was fast threatening the unity of the country, explaining that the rate of armed robbery, kidnapping, hostage taking of all kinds, banditry, militancy, herdsmen/farmers clashes, and insurgency might have overwhelmed the security agencies.

“ASUU calls on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, overhaul the nation’s security architecture. The failure of the government to ensure the security of Nigerian citizens had led to the emergence of sporadic security outfits. This is a sign that the Federal Government has failed to protect Nigerian citizens as stipulated in the Constitution of Nigeria.

“The failure of government to ensure social justice, wealth and employment creation and accountable, responsive and responsible governance at all levels, is no doubt, at the root of the pervasive security problems. We call on the Federal Government to give attention to this dimension of the solution.”

ASUU said insecurity was threatening the economy and aggravating infrastructure decay, deficiency and decay in the university system.