FG wants crisis by non-remittance of deduction, payment of salary – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said the Federal government is precipitating another round of crisis in the university system by the non-remittance of third party deduction from the salaries of its members in January 2020.

The Zonal coordinator, ASUU Sokoto zone, Jamilu Sheihu, at a press conference on Saturday in Katsina, said nonpayment of Febuary salaries of its members is another issue that can cause disaffection.

According to him, the outstanding issues in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) of 7th February 2019 have equally remained unattended to.

He noted that: “Mr President, as visitor to federal universities, [should] constitute and activate visitation panel to all universities and direct that the outcomes be fully implemented.”

He said there was the need for government to declare a five-year state of emergency in the education sector during which at least 6 percent of the GDP or 26 percent of the budget and that of the state’s are allocated to education sector.

The body also called for a “reconstitution of governing councils that have served their terms and appointment of substantive Vice chancellors in universities where some individuals currently serve in acting capacity.”

The federal government had vowed not to pay salaries of ASUU members not registered in the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

But ASUU declared a two-week warning strike last Monday to challenge government’s stand.

There have been meetings between parties since then to resolve issues raised.

Strike continues

The ongoing two-week warning strike embarked upon by ASUU will continue as the Federal Government gave conditions to integrate the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) being proposed by the Union into the government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, revealed this on Thursday after a four-hour technical session between both parties.

Both the federal government and ASUU teams did not reveal the terms of conditions reached during the meeting.

The two parties are expected to reconvene next Monday or Tuesday after further consultations by both parties.