ASUU Demands Wholistic Implementation of 2025 Agreement, Warns of Looming Crisis

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Nsukka Zone, has warned that the Federal Government’s further delay to fully implement the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government Agreement could plunge Nigerian universities into another round of industrial unrest.

The Zonal Coordinator of the union, Christian Opata, gave the warning during a press conference held at Rev Fr Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi MOAUM formerly Benue State University (BSU) premises, on Thursday.

Opata who was flanked by the immediate Zonal Coordinator, Ralph Amokaha and other union leaders, accused the government of abandoning critical components of the agreement signed earlier this year.

The union, which comprises of lecturers from eight universities including Benue State University Makurdi, (BSU), Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUSHO), Kogi State University, Anyigba (KSU), Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Federal University Wukari (FUW) and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said the Federal Government had failed to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee meant to oversee compliance with the agreement.

ASUU also faulted the government’s handling of the proposed National Research and Innovation Development Fund, alleging that the union was sidelined despite being a signatory to the agreement.

According to the union, the agreement provided that at least one percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product should be allocated to research and innovation funding.

The union further lamented the failure to integrate allowances such as Consolidated Tools Allowance, Earned Academic Allowance and Professorial Allowance into the Consolidated Academic Staff Salary Structure, noting that many universities were yet to implement the provisions due to inadequate funding.

According to Opata, “while some of our universities are implementing from internally Generated Revenu, IGR, some are borrowing to implement while others are not implementing at all.”

The union expressed concern over unresolved welfare issues, including unpaid salary arrears, withheld salaries from the 2022 ASUU strike, promotion arrears, pension remittances and salary shortfalls associated with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

ASUU also accused some governing councils and university authorities of undue interference in university administration, citing developments at Benue State University as an example.
The union additionally condemned what it described as questionable appointments and promotions to professorial positions in some universities, revealing that four such cases were currently being investigated at Federal University Lokoja.

On the welfare of retired lecturers, ASUU described delays in the payment of pensions and gratuities as unacceptable, recalling the case of late Professor Targema Iorvaa of Benue State University who allegedly died without receiving his retirement benefits adding that such situations do not encourage hardwork.

ASUU called on stakeholders in the education sector to prevail on both federal and state governments to fully implement the 2025 agreement and avert another disruption in the university system.

The National Investment Officer, ASUU, Celestine Aguoru who noted that the government has failed on its promise to commence implementation five months after the agreed time said the union would convene an emergency meeting in the first week of June to decide the next line of action.

While lamenting that most of their member universities have been forced to borrow funds to implement, Aguoru said “Today most universities said they can no longer continue borrow that they are shutting down.”

He urged Nigerians to hold the Government responsible should the universities be shut against, saying “Our children don’t need to be at home or on the streets. We do not like strikes, we only go on strike as the last option. The Government should be held responsible if ASUU goes on strike.

“We call on the general public to appeal to the government to avert the situation they are pushing us into,” he said saying ASUU is poised to ensure that keep running.