FG is ready to review the university autonomy laws on the incessant ASUU strike in Nigeria.
NaijaOnPoint reports that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has revealed the Federal Government’s plans to revise the autonomy laws for public universities in Nigeria.
This online newspaper understands Osinbajo made this disclosure on Monday at an event organized by the National University Commission (NUC) in Abuja to mark the 60th anniversary of the NUC and the launch of the Basic Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CIMAS).
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This comes against the backdrop of incessant strikes that have ravaged the country’s university system, with members of the Universities Academic Staff Union (ASUU) demanding welfare improvements, revitalization of public universities and university autonomy. , among others.
Address ASUU strikes: Osinbajo, who was represented by the Secretary of Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, stated that one of the great challenges affecting university education in Nigeria is the incessant strike by various unions in public universities. He said:
- “The most recent strike actions by university unions have required a review of the issues and the extent of university autonomy by the government.
- “This will lead to a review of university autonomy laws to properly address funding, including staff remuneration, institutional governance and administration, as well as issues related to internally generated revenue.”
Disadvantages of strikes: He noted that the university system has cumulatively lost more than 50 months from 1999 to date as a result of ASUU’s strike actions.
- “I doubt that there is any country that has lost so much time due to strikes in its university system. From the first strike in 1978 to date, all the problems have been the same. The agitations have focused mainly on financing, university autonomy and remuneration.
- “I must emphasize here that the government alone cannot finance education in the country. Therefore, it is imperative that a sustainable model of financing university education be developed”. he said.
For the records: Most of the public universities across the country have been closed for most of this year due to the ASUU strike. Thus paralyzing the university system.
On February 14, 2022, ASUU embarked on a 4-week full and comprehensive strike to emphasize their unresolved demands to the federal government.
- Some of the professors’ demands include funding for the revitalization of public universities, amounting to N1.1 trillion, payment of earned academic assignments, and adoption of the University Accountability Transparency Solution (UTAS) as a funding option. preferred payment, rather than Integrated. Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and payment of promotion arrears.
- Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement and the resolution of inconsistencies in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
- However, after a court ruling in October, ASUU canceled its strike, and the relationship with the Federal Government is still not cordial.
- Speakers on strike in October were paid half their salaries, even as 8 months’ wages were withheld, and the federal government insisted on its ‘no work no pay’ policy.
- The Federal Government also defended prorated pay, saying that workers could not be paid for work not done.
- ASUU’s national president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, blamed Ngige for allegedly authorizing the partial payment, describing him as a “trespasser”. He further expressed his trust in the Federal Government to resolve ASUU’s agitations.
