Nigerian Academics Peace Building Team has called on the Federal government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU to find a common ground and end the over 7months old strike affecting public universities in Nigeria.
The team led by Professor Jibrila D.Amin, Emeritus Prof. Olufemi Bamiro and the Former Secretary General of Committee of Vice Chancellors, Prof. Micheal Faborode amongst five other senior academics and former administrators, in a statement made available to Journalists in Abuja and tagged, Saving Our University System, made interventions, recommendations, pleaded for shifting of laws and requested that both parties must shift grounds to end the 50years history of strike in the Nigerian University System.
In it intervention on payment of withheld salaries of ASUU members since March 2022, the group called for an exception in the government’s no work no pay law saying though it is a provision of the law, hence exception can be made since the delay in negotiation was caused by Government.
It recommended that going forward, a clause in the agreement can be framed that all future agreements be negotiated and concluded within a 4-week period.
“On payment of withheld salaries of
University academics since March 2022.
No Work No pay principle must be applied , Although a provision of the law, an exception can be made since the delay in negotiation was caused by Government. Going forward, a clause in the agreement can be framed that all future agreements be negotiated and concluded within a 4-week period”
The team recommended that ASUU should not insist on deployment of University Transparency Accountability Solution, UTAS as salary payment for University staff, citing that the ecosystem of the university consists of other persons who are not their members.
“ASUU should not insist on deployment of UTAS as salary payment for University staff since the ecosystem consists of other persons who are not their members”
On ASUU’s demand for immediate release of the sum of N170 Billion to complete one branch of Needs Assessment Revitalization Fund in line with 2020 MoA of 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, the team advised ASUU to accept government’s position, which would see to the fund been included in the 2023 budget.
It recommended that the National Assembly should be involved in ensuring succeeding government’s compliance with the undertaking of immediate release of the sum of N50b to complete the payment of arrears of earned allowances in line with the 2020 MOA.
Stating it position on the release of white paper , the administrators tasked ASUU to accept government’s position and not
make it a core demand.
It further demanded government to expedite action at releasing the White Paper bearing in mind the delay since the submissions of the reports last year.
The federal government had responded that it will release the white paper on visitation panels to Federal government owned universities when the Government decides to do so.
Salary Adjustment For Academic Staff
Affirming it stand on the issue of salary adjustment for academic staff being proposed by government, the team pleaded for an upward review to end the strike.
“Government’s view on the recommended increase ought to factor in the pivotal role of universities in driving development. Hence, we plead for an upward review midway, to end the strike”
Affirmation On University Autonomy
The Nigerian Academics Peace Building Team emphasised that the struggle for university autonomy that formed the major point of dispute since 2003 must be contextualised in conversation over IPPIS or UTAS.
It stressed that centralised payment platform for all Federal Universities fundamentally negates the principle of autonomy.
“Global best practice in general and the law establishing the federal universities, vest the power over finances to the Governing Council with the Vice-Chancellor as Chief Accounting Officer”
The centralisation of salary payment and
approval of establishment figures and academic staff recruitment from the office of the Head of Service all negate the core principles on which university governance and administration are founded.
“We make bold to submit that these incursions/features hurt the Nigerian university system very badly”
It added that ASUU’s ideological stand on the matter of non-payment of tuition fees must be moderated to accommodate this possibility as long as Government puts in place the framework to accommodate intelligent but indigent students.
“ASUU is correct in stating that the industrial dispute has lasted this long because the Federal Government has not shown sufficient commitment toward its resolution.
In the same vein, the Federal Government’s position rejecting ASUU’s demands on the adoption of UTAS for payment of salaries to staff of the University is also valid. We must accept these basic facts and move on” the team affirmed.
The academics however stated that whatever is finally agreed must have the stamp of legislation by the National Assembly to make the resolution perpetually binding and be sustainable.
“It must represent a final end to the spate of strikes in our universities”
Other members of the team are ; Senator Dr.Nkechi Nwagogwu, Former Pro-Chancellor University of Calabar,Prof Joe Ahaneku ,Fomer Vice Chancellor University of Azikwe, Prof. Akpan Ekpo and the serving Secretary General of Committee of Vice Chancellors Of Nigerian Universities,Prof. Yakubu Ochefu.
