…Says gov’t not taken with resolving lingering points
By Ike Uchechukwu CALABAR
The Educational Workers Union of Universities, (ASUU) has vowed to down instruments after the expiration of the 14-day Ultimatum given to the Federal Authorities to satisfy their calls for.
Briefing Journalists, in Calabar, the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Calabar Zone, Comrade Happiness Uduk who learn a collectively signed launch by all Chairpersons of the zone mentioned that the Federal authorities must be held accountable for the breakdown of business concord which is able to come up on account of its indifference in the direction of their plight.
“Our Union will withdraw companies, and shouldn’t be held accountable for the breakdown in industrial concord which is able to come up on account of the federal government’s insensitivity, insincerity, indifference and time-buying ways.
“The Union calls on these in authority in addition to their brokers to grab this window to forestall the looming disaster.
“With a sense of indignation, we remorse to bore you with the cry of anger, frustration and unfulfilled guarantees which have tirelessly bedevilled our wrestle and have been front-burnt for a number of years.
The Calabar Zone of ASUU has referred to as this Press Convention due to growth or the shortage of it as regards our engagements with the Federal Authorities of Nigeria.
“As you’re conscious, in a letter dated twentieth August 2024, the Union gave the Authorities a 21-day ultimatum for the decision of all the problems in competition since 2009.
“We categorically need to inform you that nothing tangible has modified safely for conferences and extra conferences for which authorities brokers have been extra involved with receiving allowances for convening such conferences from tax-payers cash and the funds that our Authorities claims it doesn’t have.
We’re compelled, due to this fact, to handle you, gents of the Press on the newest growth or in any other case due to the inevitable and impending industrial motion to press dwelling our calls for.
“As males of the fourth realm, to escalate the problems for these involved to enhance the already fragile industrial concord in our tertiary establishments and save the training system from complete collapse or threat one more industrial motion.
“Recall that in an open letter to the Federal Authorities, our Union in a bid to make sure that this legacy wrestle is achieved for the great of Nigerians and Nigeria, had talked about ten (10) points in competition together with the conclusion of the re-negotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Settlement based mostly on the Draft Settlement by the Nimi Briggs Committee in 2021, which is already outdated given the fact of the present Greenback/Naira ratio amongst others.
“The failure of governments to implement contents of a number of Memoranda of Understanding and Motion between 2013 and 2022 has notably hampered entry to healthful industrial concord in public Universities particularly as renegotiation has lingered for over seven years spanning the Babalakin-led workforce via Jubrin Munzali’s workforce and Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs’ Committee.
“The final two concluded renegotiation however the authorities has not owned the mentioned doc nor carried out its contents. Because the inception of this authorities, all efforts to get them to undertake and implement the mentioned Settlement have been pissed off.
“With the present financial realities, even the wage award and palliative can’t exchange the renegotiated settlement which was reached following the time-tried and honoured precept of Collective Bargaining.
“Presently, it’s tough for any College employee to inform his/her precise wage because it fluctuates each month whereas third-party deductions are withheld or launched haphazardly with impunity and amputations.
“It’s apparent this authorities will not be taken with resolving lingering points with our Union that’s the reason like earlier governments, its engagements with us are characterised by bottlenecks of paperwork, time-buying, documentation denial, lack of budgetary provisions slightly compounding and complicating the already disagreeable relationship.
“Given present realities within the dysfunctional relationship between Federal Authorities and ASUU, the Union resolved to present the federal government 14 extra days ultimatum to the sooner 21 days starting from Monday, twenty third September 2024 inside which all points should have been addressed to the satisfaction of our poorly-treated members.
“We hereby encourage members that although the street is tough, victory is assured as a result of there isn’t any going again.