LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to fulfill its promise to exclude its members from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The Chairman of the ASUU, Federal University Lokoja chapter, Dr. Joshua Silas, made this appeal on Tuesday during a protest at the FUL campus in Felele, Lokoja.
Speaking to reporters following the protest, the chairman called on the Federal Government to honour the 2009 agreements renegotiated with the national ASUU to avert the resumption of the suspended strike.
Silas said, “We are carrying out these protests nationwide as directed by the national body of ASUU in solidarity to urge the Federal government to promptly meet our demands.
“The government has failed to meet our demands regarding the 2009 renegotiation agreements with the national body of ASUU as promised.
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“A lot has been done, and the government promised to meet our needs, but since 2009 to 2024 until now, nothing has been done because the government has failed to honour the agreements.
“We suspended the last strike in October 2022 with the hope that the government would resolve all the outstanding issues, but till today, June 25, 2024, nothing has been done.
“The protest is to call the attention of the general public to be aware and bear witness that ASUU has been patient enough with the government.
“Enough is enough; this is totally unacceptable because many of our members have died due to the present economic hardships.
“We urge the government to do the needful because ASUU should not be blamed for any industrial action anytime from now,.”
He outlined that the agreements include removing ASUU from the IPPIS, addressing outstanding academic allowances, providing a revitalization fund, settling promotion arrears, and releasing withheld salaries, among other issues.
Silas highlighted that the Federal Government has paid only four months of the roughly eight months of outstanding salaries, leaving about three and a half months still unpaid.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that union members conducted the protest across all faculties of the institution, ending at the university gate while chanting solidarity songs.
They carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “Remove ASUU from IPPIS,” “Release our withheld salaries,” “Implement ASUU, FG agreements,” and “We are not casual workers,” among others.