The current incessant industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may soon be over following plans by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to review the autonomy laws of public universities.
The review of the law and recommendations if strictly adhered to may answer the age long yearnings of the ASUU which are improved welfare, revitalization of public universities, and autonomy for universities, among others.
The steps towards achieving the union’s demands was disclosed on Monday, December 5, 2022 when the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha said that that the FGN will tackle some of the challenges of ASUU reviewing autonomy laws of public universities in the country.
He said, “The most recent strike actions by the university-based unions have necessitated a revisit on the issues and scope of university autonomy by government.
“This will lead to a review of the university autonomy laws to appropriately address funding, including staff remuneration, institutional governance, and administration, as well as issues relating to internally generated revenue.”
Disadvantages of strikes: He noted that the university system has cumulatively lost over 50 months from 1999 to date as a result of strike actions by ASUU.
“I doubt if there is any country that has lost such amount of time to strikes in its university system. From the first strike in 1978 to date, all the issues have remained the same. The agitations have been primarily on funding, university autonomy, and remunerations.
“I need to stress here that government alone cannot fund education in the country. It is therefore imperative that a sustainable model of funding university education must be developed.”
Recall that ASUU were on an eight-month industrial action from February 14, 2022 to October 14, 2022 to demand for Some of the revitalisation of public universities, which amounts to N1.1 trillion, payment of earned academic allowances, and adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a preferred payment option, instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and payment of promotion arrears.
Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement and the resolution of inconsistencies in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
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