Some leaders of the Academic Staff Unions of Universities, ASUU in Benue State, have explained that the Federal Government’s inability to implement previous agreements it entered into with the Union, is responsible for its threat to embark on fresh industrial action.
Speaking in separate interviews with our correspondent the Union leaders highlighted the issues to include, the renegotiation of the two thousand and nine agreements, funding for the revitalisation of public universities, illegal dissolution of Governing Councils in Federal and State universities.
They also outlined withheld salaries in Federal and State universities, unpaid salaries of staff on sabbatical, the non-release of third-party deductions, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances, proliferation of public universities, non-implementation of the reports of Visitation Panels and the refusal to adopt UTAS in place of IPPIS among other issues.
The Nsukka Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Doctor Ralph Amokaha said until the federal government honours the agreement reached with ASUU, the Union will continue with its agitations to restructure tertiary institutions in the country.
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The ASUU Chairman, Joseph Sarwuan Tarkaa University Makurdi, Doctor Paul Anyagh called on the government and political class to have a rethink on the future of country and do the right thing to restore the glory of the public university education.
Also speaking, the Secretary of ASUU at Benue State University, Makurdi, Terrumun Gajir stated that the Union would not allow the federal governments to destroy the university system, stressing it was in the best interest of the people to ensure the public university education is not jeopardised.
Commenting, an undergraduate Law student at the University, Avasor Utor decried the effect of the continuous conflict between ASUU and Federal Government leading to industrial disharmony which disrupts students’ academics.
He expressed worry students often study longer than the usual timeframe for academic programmes in the universities and called for an enduring solution to end incessant strikes.
