ASUU: Prevail on Buhari, FG to prevent across the country strike– ATBU urges traditional rulers, Nigerians

The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University(ATBU ), Bauchi chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has actually prompted religious leaders, conventional rulers and popular Nigerians to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government to carry out all the Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) participated in with the union.

This is even as the branch declared that “enough suffices” in the middle of total neglect and is ready for action and further revealed assistance for the resumption of the suspended nationwide strike, considering the fact that the Federal Government had actually displayed lack of seriousness and will to address the sticking around crisis between them.

These were made known to journalists in Bauchi shortly after the union’s congress, firmly insisting that unless favorable steps were taken, the strike action would resume and be a lot more total than previous ones.

Dealing with journalists in business of other union leaders in the institution, the ASUU branch chairman, Dr. Ibrahim Inuwa, informed that the body resolved to go along with its nationwide body on the problem of strike, stating that they had actually had enough as the government was not genuine.

He lamented that regardless of government’s arrangement with the union, lecturers have stayed on the same salary given that 2009, including that they are going through a lot now with the present economic realities.

“The congress, just as it had actually performed in the previous 3 conferences, has asked us to notify the nationwide body that it is all set to go along in the resuming of the strike action. Enough is enough because the government is not sincere with the union.

“Since 2009, members of ASUU have actually remained on the very same wage grade level. The contract is that promo shall be based upon the present exchange rate of the Dollar. You can envision what we are going through now thinking about the financial scenario,” Inuwa said.

He added that much of members have not been paid their wages for as much as 12 months due to the insufficiency of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), sending that this has actually brought untold challenge to the speakers.

The Federal Government, Inuwa said, had constantly reneged on the release of earned allowance to universities, a development he said had put speakers in a harder circumstance as they attempted to perform their tasks.

The ASUU branch chairman, notified that the Federal Government was yet to launch the N1.5 trillion universities revitalisation funds as agreed.

According to him, considering that the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan launched N200billion, the President Buhari-led administration just released paltry amounts which had not even gone round the general public universities.

He regreted that regardless of its failure to fulfil its part of the numerous MoUs and MoAs signed with the union, the Federal Government has actually increased charges being paid by students.

“While the government is paying lip service and dragging feet on the execution of the MoAs and mous, it went on to increase trainees’ charges declaring that the system will collapse if the charges stayed what they were. Who is fooling who?

“It is incorrect for anyone to say that ASUU is insensitive to the issue the strike will have on the academic lives of the trainees. We too are feeling the discomfort. The scenario is just beyond our control,” he stated.

He then called on the President to be sincere in carrying out the different MoUs and MoAs instead of getting in touch with ASUU to rescind its decision of going on another across the country strike.

“Mr President too must be sincere in executing the various MoUs and MoAs in order to have stability in the tertiary education sector. We are tired of deceit and empty promises,” he stated.