The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is threatening to embark on a fresh strike if the government does not pay the 13 months salaries of over 1000 of its members. Dr Lazarus Maigoro, the Chairman of the University of Jos chapter of the Union said this on Saturday, 19th June 2021. He also mentioned that the Federal Government has also withheld the check-off dues of its affected members.
The Accountant General of Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, was accused of systematically withholding the lecturers’ remuneration, despite the government agreeing to the non-victimisation of its members after the last strike action.
By denying members of ASUU their full remuneration, he said the AGF defies the directives of the President, Muhammadu Buhari. He further explained that this breaches the terms of the agreement signed between both parties.
Dr Maigoro believes the AGF refusing to pay the salaties because ASUU members were involved in the last strike action and refused to enrol in the much discredited IPPIS. This is against the non-victimisation clause signed in the MoA that preceded the strike’s supension in December 2020.
He decried that a good number of lecturers in the UNiversity of Jos who are being owed salaries from February 2020 till date are exected to teach. Other grievances included the refusal to pay allowances of sabbatical, contract, visiting, part-time staff which he said is further killing the federal universities in Nigeria, thanks to IPPIS.
Meanwhile, the Labour Minister, Chris Ngige has expressed shock over ASUU’s renewed threat of an industrial action. He state that he would find out the true position of things, with hopes of resolving the matter.
He said: “I am just hearing that now. The check-off dues issues I think have been sorted out. Two weeks ago, ASUU mentioned some of their members who were omitted, but I know that the office of the AGF has been looking into that to solve the matter as they occur.
