ASUU begins two-week pay warning strike, 2009 pact with government

The Union of Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) began a two-week warning strike starting Tuesday.
Its national president, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, announced it at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).
Ogunyemi said the strike is aimed at forcing the federal government to implement the agreement and the resolution of a protocol of action concluded by the two parties under the ASUU-FGN agreement of 2009, of the protocol 2013 agreement (MoU) and 2017 action protocol (MoU). .
He said that none of these measures had been implemented.
Speaking to journalists, the President of ASUU said: “After a thorough review of the state of Nigerian universities, we wish to draw the attention of all stakeholders to an impending crisis in the university system resulting from the non- payment of source deductions from third party salaries. our members and the non-payment of salaries in February 2020. “

He insisted that the ASUU reject the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
Ogunyemi said the union was concerned that the government would refuse its proposed platform, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
“ASUU has highlighted serious shortcomings inherent in IPPIS. We have talked about the widely reported fraud perpetrated by IPPIS operators inside and outside the Federation’s Auditor General (AGF).
“The National Assembly recognized the monumental fraud in the IPPIS when the AGF appeared before its public accounts committee and was able to defend the request of the auditors.
“However, the government, through its agents, remains adamant about the obligation for ASUU members to register with IPPIS”

The Federal Government yesterday described ASUU’s two–week warning strike as illegal.

Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige stated this in a phone interview with our reporter.

“There is nothing like a warning strike. A strike is a strike. They have gone on strike without the proper channel and notification for the strike. So, it is an illegal strike.

“We will meet with them; we have invited them. They have not responded to us. When they respond to us, they should be able to come as soon as possible,” he said.