Members of ASUU ATBU stage peaceful protest

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi Branch, staged a peaceful protest on Thursday.

Calling on President Bola Tinubu to urgently use his good offices to facilitate the signing and immediate implementation of the Prof Nimi Briggs Committee’s agreement on renegotiating salaries for academic staff at Federal Universities.

ASUU members walked from their Secretariat inside the Yelwa campus of the University to the main gate, carrying placards with various inscriptions to draw attention to their plight over the years.

Addressing journalists at the end of the protest, the Branch Chairperson of ASUU, ATBU, Comrade Ibrahim Inuwa, stated that the non-implementation of the agreement has implications for denying academics a wage consistent with current economic realities, continued poor funding of universities, and respect for academic freedom.

He lamented that ASUU members have remained on the same salary system for 15 years, with all efforts at renegotiation failing, thereby leaving them stagnant.

He further explained that the demand for renegotiation of the pay package with the Federal Government of Nigeria is anchored on International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 98, which provides for the principle of collective bargaining.

According to him, “Following the FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement, it was stipulated that the agreement would be reviewed every three years. However, the Union has been without a renegotiated agreement for the past 15 years.”

Ibrahim Inuwa added, “Consequently, after much effort and pressure on the government, a renegotiation committee was set up under the chairmanship of Wale Babalakin in 2017. However, this committee failed to conclude its assignment within the agreed time frame.”

He continued, “Two other committees, headed by Prof. Munzali Jibrin and the late Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs, negotiated and produced draft agreements, but the process was halted before finalizing the reviewed agreement. Since 2021, the document has remained in draft form.”

The Branch Chairperson also lamented that “ASUU has, over the years, remained concerned about the successive governments’ lack of attention to the development and provision of quality education for Nigerian citizens.”

According to him, “This position of the Union is consistent with section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which directs the government’s policy towards ensuring equal and adequate educational opportunities for all citizens at all levels.”

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“The provision of access to quality education, not only basic education but also tertiary education, is a matter of national interest and patriotism.

No nation can develop to its full potential when its citizens are poorly educated and their access to education is limited and obstructed by the lackadaisical attitude of the political class. Teachers and lecturers, who are responsible for effective teaching and learning, are treated rather shabbily,” he stressed.

He stated, “We have brought attention to the consistent failure of the FGN to honor agreements and fulfill promises concerning the welfare of our members, among other issues.

We declare that ASUU remains undaunted in its patriotic mission towards the welfare of its members and in repositioning the university system for global competitiveness.”

He further stressed, “The struggle for better, improved, and affordable quality education for Nigerians is not solely ASUU’s fight to achieve. Parents, students, and the youth of this country must stand together and ensure that the government takes necessary action.

Therefore, we call on all patriots in the media, labor movement, student groups, civil society organizations, and all other stakeholders to join us in our resolve to reposition the Nigerian university system for a transformed Nigeria.”

The Chairperson concluded, “We reiterate that the suspension of our strike in 2022 was a patriotic act based on trust in those who intervened. We sincerely hope and wish that our union will not be compelled to resume the strike in the near future!”