The Chairperson of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Calabar Zone, Happiness Uduk, has alleged that the Federal Government’s sub-committee set up to review the demands of the body is not interested in resolving the planned industrial action by the Union.
ASUU had given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve several lingering issues, failing which it would proceed with another strike.
The lecturers are demanding, among other things, the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on the Draft Agreement by the Nimi Briggs Committee in 2021, which is already outdated given the current Dollar/Naira ratio, and the release of withheld salaries for three and a half months as a result of the 2022 industrial action.
They are similarly demanding the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct positions, which were affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, otherwise known as IPPIS; as well as the release of outstanding third-party deductions, such as check-off dues and co-operative contributions by members, which were captured in the 2023 Federal Budget, among several others.
However, the Federal Government, in a desperate attempt to prevent the planned strike, set up a sub-committee to review the demands of the university lecturers.
But speaking on Monday while addressing journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, ahead of the planned strike, Uduk accused the committee of only being interested in holding meetings to draw allowances for themselves.
She said, “There have been meetings upon meetings without anything coming forth; all they have been doing is just calling those meetings so that they can get allowances, that is all.
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