From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) branch, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to avert a “mother of all strikes” by implementing the reviewed 2009 Agreement.
The TASUED branch chairman of ASUU, Dr. Wale Ositoye, made this call on Wednesday, August 27, while addressing reporters shortly after a peaceful protest held at the main gate of the university, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode.
Ositoye, who led other executives and members of the union, said the peaceful protest was organised to create awareness and appeal to the president to act and avert a looming strike tagged “mother of all strikes” ASUU will embark on, if his administration fails in its promise to implement the agreement the Federal Government reached with the union 16 years ago.
The ASUU branch chairman lamented that the Federal Government has continued to breach the 2009 agreement, noting members of the union are still receiving salaries of 2009, despite an agreement to review salaries every three years.
He added that the President Tinubu-led administration implemented liberalisation of dollars and removal of petroleum subsidy, which, according to him, have imposed economic hardship on Nigerians, insisting that the agreement of 2009 must be implemented to mitigate the current economic reality on the academic staff of the universities.
“We are appealing to the president to use his good office to avert the mother of all strikes that ASUU members will embark on. It is not that we like to go on strikes; we are using this peaceful protest to create awareness and appeal to the president to avert the looming strike. The agreement reached 16 years ago has not been implemented. People are still receiving salaries of 2009. They came with a wage of 25 and 35% that is not even commensurate with the current economic reality.
“This current government implemented two economic policies: liberalisation of dollars and petroleum subsidy removal, which have imposed economic hardship on the people who earn their money legitimately from the public. We have approached the government, and the Minister of Education is talking to us, but they have not walked the talk, they only continue to promise.
“They are boasting that they have caged the academia in the last two years and that they cannot go on strike. It is not that we’re pleased with the situation of things, but we have the interest of the nation and our youth because we know that hardship goes round,” Ositoye stated.
He added that ASUU will not allow the Federal Government to dictate any wage award to it; rather, the union will engage in collective bargaining to decide and determine a wage that is commensurate with the current economic reality.
“We don’t want anyone to just award us a wage; we are not beggars and paupers. There is a principle called collective bargaining. Once we agree according to the speciality of our work and engagement, we will be okay to go with it. Even if they say they will pay us 300%, we are not interested, we want to bargain for what we want,” the ASUU branch chairman pointed out.
He, however, faulted the federal government for dangling an interest-free loan before the union instead of implementing salary enhancement, Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), and other components in the 2009 agreement, declaring that ASUU will reject the federal government’s loan.
“We are asking for salary enhancement, and someone is now saying that they want to give us a loan that will be interest-free for five years. Who is asking you for the loan? And to make matters worse, they now said union leaders would be the guarantors. Are we employers of those people? We are equally employed. So, we reject the loan in totality. What we want is the review of the 2009 agreement.
“A lot of negotiations had gone over this, and the one that would have sealed all these issues was messed up by the former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige. The Yayale Ahmed-led committee’s report we are talking about is fraught with frustrations. The federal government has reached a stage to implement this agreement if they are really serious about it, so that there can be peace in the Nigerian universities. Nigerians should know that ASUU is not the one causing chaos in the universities, but the Nigerian government.
“One of the agreements is Earned Academic Allowance (EAA). The N50bn the Federal Government paid for EAA ended in 2023. It was also agreed that salary should be reviewed every three years; 15 years down the line, the situation remains unchanged. The revitalisation of infrastructure in the universities was championed by ASUU. TETFund is our baby and idea,” Ositoye submitted.
