The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday declared a “comprehensive, total and indefinite strike”.
It cited the alleged failure of the Federal Government to address its demands.
The leadership of the union said the indefinite strike took effect from 12.01a.m yesterday.
ASUU took the decision at the end of an emergency National Executive Council meeting at its secretariat in Abuja.
“In view of the foregoing, and following extensive deliberations on government’s response to the resolution of 14th February 2022 so far, NEC concluded that the demands of the union had not been satisfactorily addressed.
“Consequently, NEC resolved to transmute the roll-over strike to a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01 a.m. on Monday, 29th August, 2022,” ASUU said in a statement by its President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke.
The union said it remained focused on the full implementation of the December 23, 2020, Memorandum of Action for quick restoration of industrial harmony in Nigeria’s public universities.
It also said it remained open to reasonable engagements as it had always done.
“NEC acknowledged with appreciation past and current efforts by eminent Nigerians and groups to mediate in the lingering crisis.
“Our union remains open to reasonable engagements as we have always done. However, ASUU remains focused on the full implementation of the 23rd December 2020 Memorandum of Action for quick restoration of industrial harmony in Nigeria’s public universities,” ASUU said in the statement.
The ASUU NEC regretted that the union had experienced “a lot of deceit of the highest level” in the last five and half years as the Federal Government engaged ASUU in fruitless and unending negotiation “without a display of utmost fidelity”.
The union, which said it was disappointed in agents of the government, lambasted the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu for alleged falsehood and misrepresentation of facts aimed at scoring cheap political gains.
The statement reads: “NEC observed with regret that the union had experienced a lot of deceit of the highest level in the last five and half years as the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) engaged ASUU in fruitless and unending negotiation without a display of utmost fidelity.
“In 2017, the Federal Government constituted a committee to renegotiate the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement under the chairmanship of Dr. Wale Babalakin.
“After three years of fruitless negotiation, Dr. Babalakin was replaced in December 2020 with Professor Emeritus Munzali Jibril. The Renegotiation Committee produced and submitted a draft agreement to the Federal Government in May, 2021.
“It is sad that, until 14th February, 2022 when the ongoing strike commenced, the Federal Government made no significant efforts to either sign the agreement or commence implementation.
“It was only after the commencement of this strike that the Federal Government reconstituted the committee with Professor Emeritus Nimi Briggs appointed Chairman to lead the Government Team.
“NEC recalled that, before meeting with our Union, the Nimi Briggs Committee confirmed to ASUU in writing that it was consulting with all relevant stakeholders in order to aggregate Government’s position/offer.
“After intensive bargaining, ASUU came to a compromise with the Professor Briggs-led Team leading to the submission of the second Draft Agreement to the Federal Government in June 2022 for consideration and approval for signing by the two parties within one week. This was done in line with the principle of collective bargaining.
“Shortly after and against all expectations, however, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and later his Minister of State, Festus Kayamo, alleged that the union chased away representatives of government agencies and thereafter fixed unreasonable and unimplementable salary package for its members.
“They claimed that the government would need to borrow N1.6 trillion to implement the draft agreement; a claim that is not only malicious but contrived to blackmail the Union.
“Subsequently, some miserable, unilateral, and insulting take-it or-leave-it offers of between N30, 000 and N60,000 monthly salary were thrown at the Union. This was obviously an attempt to abrogate the principle of collective bargaining which has guided ASUU engagements with the Federal Government since 1981.
Also yesterday, the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities faulted Osodeke’s comments on state universities.
The group said state universities cannot be coerced to implement an agreement reached between the Federal Government and federal lecturers.
The pro-chancellors also made a case for the democratisation of union membership In universities.
In a statement by its Secretary, Marcus Awobifa, they called for devolution of powers on labour, wages and salary issues.
According to them, employers should be free to negotiate with their employees.
The pro-chancellors said: “The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN) read with alarm and disbelief a statement made by the President of the ASUU Prof. Emmanuel Osodike on a television programme on Arise, where he said that state universities are ‘irrelevant and quacks’ on 26th August 2022.
“Our first reaction was to ignore this tendentious, ill-conceived and flagrant unconscionable statement, but on reflection, it was thought necessary to do a rejoinder to this rather unfortunate statement having regard to the position of the president of ASUU in the scheme of things in our university system in Nigeria.
“The pro-chancellors of our state universities and indeed members of the councils are distinguished and accomplished eminent persons who had served and still serving this Nation in many capacities…
“COPSUN wishes to appeal to the President of ASUU to realise that the membership of ASUU is voluntary.
“Therefore, it is not his ill-informed approach and denigration of state universities that will lead to fashioning out creative approaches to avoid existential extinction that will solve the myriad of problems confronting the University system in Nigeria.
“The very unfortunate, ill-digested view of the President of ASUU has vindicated the position of this Committee on the following issues: The negative professionalisation of offices of the unions that operate in our universities and the unserious belief among many members of the unions that the unions are superior to the councils of the universities that are their employers.
“The need for immediate democratisation of the membership of unions in the universities to the extent of the freedom of any individual to belong to a union with options of not belonging.
“Devolution of powers on the issues of labour, wages and salaries with freedom of the employers to negotiate with their employees, as it is practised in other parts of the world, where we borrowed the university system.
“State universities cannot be forced or coerced to implement agreements reached between the Federal Government and her workers in the universities to which they are not parties.
“It is time to respect the Federal nature of our government in all matters and not selectively, especially on the issues of salaries and wages.”