The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has lamented the current harrowing economic condition of Nigerian citizens, calling on the Federal Government to accelerate the process of arriving at a minimum living wage as demanded by the NLC.
The union has also called on government to urgently review all IMF/World Bank-sponsored economic policies which are increasingly degrading the quality of life of Nigerians.
Addressing the press in Jos, Plateau State, the Bauchi zone of the union led by its Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Naumwa Voncir said, “The free fall in the value of Naira vis-à-vis international currencies, the distortion in the petroleum sector corruptly called “subsidy removal”, has ushered in a regime of high cost of transportation, unaffordable prices of commodities, job losses and ballooning joblessness, insecurity and general atmosphere of despair and despondency in the country.
“The failure of government to provide effective measures that would cushion the effect of its anti-poor policies has further pushed the Nigerian masses down the abyss of abject poverty and hardships.”
Lamenting on the poor remuneration of lecturers in Nigeria, ASUU said, “It is no longer news that the salaries of the highest-paid professor, on average, have been reduced to a meagre $210/month. This is one of the least in the world. Unfortunately, even the unilateral award of 35% and 25% by the despotic Buhari-led administration, which had been activated through the National Wages, Salaries and Income Commission (NWSIC) through a circular, remains a promissory note more than one year later”
On Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the union said that it is worried that some elements inside and outside government may be planning to undermine the government directive “given the ambiguity that currently surrounds our removal from IPPIS with particular reference to the so-called “new IPPIS” with which January salaries were paid a few days ago.”
Insisting that government reverts to quarterly releases of University funds to enable them to design and implement their programmes in tandem with international best practices, ASUU said that such is the hallmark of a truly autonomous University system as obtained in the 1960s and 1970s. “We demand immediate compliance with the directive of the President of Nigeria removing tertiary institutions from IPPIS.”
The Union also called on all University Senates to resist the surreptitious moves by National Universities Commissions (NUC) to erode their powers over academic programmes in their respective Universities by NUC imposition of Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS).
It warned the government not to push the union back into needless and avoidable industrial disharmony that will result in another closure of universities in the country.
Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
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