ASUU strike looms

   University lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Benin zone, have threatened to embark on industrial action over shortfall in university allocation.
  PROTEST: Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, during a rally/protest to sensitize students and the public on the plight of academic staff in the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, yesterday. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele. FILE: Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, during a rally/protest to sensitize students and the public on the plight of academic staff in the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. 

The lecturers accused the Federal Government of stoking the embers of crisis when the university system was yet to fully recover from the damaging effects of a prolonged strike in 2013. The union said it was an unfortunate and sad development that the federal government was contributing to the threat to peace in the Nigerian university system by not sending enough money to pay salaries. Zonal Co-ordinator, ASUU, Benin Zone, Prof. Anthony Monye-Emina in a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, said the use of co-operative, welfare savings and union dues to make up for the shortfalls and the ridiculous handouts in whatever guise in place of salary was unacceptable. 

Prof. Monye-Emina said the union should not be held liable for any crisis in the Nigerian university system. He noted that most universities were under the burden of severe financial crisis, stressing that government was yet to proffer an explanation on when it would end. Emu a said: “In universities where full salary is seemingly paid, deductions for co-operative societies, welfare associations, union dues and so on, come in arrears.

 This implies that such deductions are accumulated to be able to make full payment of salary in subsequent months after which remittance is made.” “In essence, university staff savings is what is used to augment the shortfall. It is important to note that this accumulation of deductions/remittances is exclusive of tax deductions. This implies that tax deductions are remitted as at when due to the same government that does not feel obliged to avail the universities the full complement of their allocations. This development is in addition to shortfall in running, operational, logistics and other costs.”