BY: News Peddlers
Fresh facts have emerged on why the Academic Staff Union of Universities rejected the proposal by the Federal Government.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that ASUU had tagged the offer by the Federal Government as “miserable”. However, the union did not go into some of the details in the proposal.
But the zonal coordinator, Port Harcourt zone, Stanley Ogoun, in a statement made available to The PUNCH the Federal Government noted that it would increase the salaries of professors by N60,000 while other lecturers would have their salaries increased within the range of N30,000 and N60,000.
Ogoun also stated that the government promised to release the N170 billion revitalisation fund, which would be included in the 2023 budget.
"Nigerians should be aware of the offers made by the so-called minister." These are: (a) 170 billion naira for revitalisation in the 2023 budget; (b) a promise to increase the salary of a professor at the bar by N60,000 in the following year's budget; and (c) no statement on the National University Commission Act amendment gathering dust in the National Assembly. (d) payment of two tranches of outstanding Earned Academic Allowance in next year's budget; (d) a pledge to implement the University Transparency and Accountability Solution; and (e) another pledge to release the white papers."
In the statement, Ogoun went on to say, "Imagine the minister's level of deception!" In an election year, a promise to fulfill demands? We did not go on strike for over six months to improve our public universities only to be met with mere promissory notes from a government notorious for breaking promises. Nigerians, I'm sure, would not forgive us.
"On the subject of withheld wages and the claim that we do not deserve to bepaid. We challenge the government to demonstrate that the unproductive employees of our moribund refineries and other similar agencies are not being paid. They should also explain why unproductive politicians who are responsible for Nigeria's current state of coma are paid exorbitant salaries and allowances. To be clear, teaching is only one of the many responsibilities we have as lecturers. It only earns a candidate seeking advancement one point per year. The primary requirements for advancement are research and community service."
"We reject the Federal Government's current move to abandon the principle of collective bargaining and reduce our Union's objective and patriotic struggle to revamp and reposition public universities in Nigeria to the award of meager salaries ranging from N30,000 to N60,000."
The union, on the other hand, demanded that Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, resign.
SOURCE: PUNCH