ASUU back on strike across universities, alleges discrimination in paying them versus other federal workers
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“Usually, our salaries always span into the first week of the next month. While other government organisations are being paid, federal universities would be left out and would not receive payment.
“Whenever we ask, they’ll always tell us that it is because of the migration from the IPPIS, and we see that there is preferential treatment against us in favour of other organisations” – ASUU executive.
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University lecturers are back in the trenches over unpaid salaries for June, accusing the Federal Government of failing to keep to agreement, reminiscent of the Muhammadu Buhari years of long periods of crippled tertiary education due to his neglect of the sector.
More branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have announced suspension of lectures, as warned earlier by ASUU National President Chris Piwuna that the body would invoke no-pay-no-work policy against the government if it delayed payment of June salaries.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in a statement issued on Sunday night also threatened to embark on strike if the government fails to release their salaries.
University of Jos ( UNIJOS) ASUU branch Chairman Jurbe Molwus announced the withdrawal of services at the university, citing the delay in salary payment.
Molwus said this followed the National Executive Council (NEC) resolution directing branches to take action when salaries are not paid by the third day of a new month, and the congress affirming the position.
ASUU members have abstained from lectures and statutory meetings, he reiterated, and warned that the same action would be taken any time salaries are not paid by the third day of the next month.
According to him, the strike monitoring team of the branch has been activated to ensure compliance.
Lecturers stayed away from the campus of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi following a memo by local ASUU branch.
Local ASUU Chairman Angulu Haruna said the delay by the Federal Government in paying their salaries is a deliberate act.
“Usually, our salaries always span into the first week of the next month. While other government organisations are being paid, federal universities would be left out and would not receive payment,” he told The PUNCH.
“Whenever we ask, they’ll always tell us that it is because of the migration from the IPPIS, and we see that there is preferential treatment against us in favour of other organisations.”
It was learnt at the University of Abuja (UNIABUJ) that there was skeletal service as most lecturers stayed off campus.
A lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, who spoke off the record, confirmed that most lecturers followed the resolution of the NEC to stay away from the classroom pending payment of June salaries.
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