The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, has protested over the Federal Government’s non-payment of salaries.
The lecturers who took the protest to the school premises on Thursday expressed their grievances with placards carrying various inscriptions such as “FG, fulfil your promise fund to public universities,” “When will ASUU’s removal from IPPIS come to fruition or be implemented,” “FG, fulfil your promise,” and “IPPIS is a scam.” among others.
The ASUU members accused the federal government of ignoring their pleas and failing to sign the renegotiated agreements despite engaging in three rounds of negotiations.
The chairman of the ASUU chapter in FUNAAB, Oluwagbenga Adeleye, said that the protest was a solidarity action with the national body of the union, which had been negotiating with the federal government to address the union’s demands.
According to him: “The national body of the union has done everything within its reach to get the attention of the federal government to improve the welfare of ASUU and their salaries.
“All the promotion arrears that have been held by the federal government, including the academic allowances since last year, have not been paid.
“Our three and a half months of withheld salaries have not been paid, even when the job has been done and duly completed, we can no longer keep quiet and behave as if everything is well.”
He appealed to Nigerians to prevail on the government to act responsibly and avert a potential nationwide strike.
“The protest is also to make Nigerians hear and for those that have their friends in government to tell them that a crisis is looming in the university sector as the federal government refuses to listen to us,” he said.
Prof. Olukayode Bangbose, a former member of the union, disclosed that salaries have remained stagnant for 15 years, worsening the financial plight of the university’s staff.
He also criticised the mandatory deduction of the National Housing Fund from their salaries, which he claimed has plunged many into poverty.
The union also reiterated its preference for the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS over the government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, arguing that UTAS better addresses the unique needs of university administration.