Asuu lists grievances
ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) is a union that represents the interests of academic staff in Nigerian universities. In 2020, ASUU listed several grievances that led to a strike by its members. Some of the key grievances included:
- Non-payment of salaries and allowances: ASUU members had not received their salaries and allowances for several months, leading to financial hardship.
- Poor funding of universities: The union claimed that the federal government had not been providing adequate funding for universities, leading to a decline in the quality of education and infrastructure.
- Non-implementation of agreements: ASUU alleged that the government had not implemented several agreements reached between the union and the government, including the 2019 Memorandum of Action (MoA).
- Poor working conditions: The union complained about poor working conditions, including inadequate infrastructure, lack of equipment, and poor maintenance of facilities.
- Non-appointment of vice-chancellors: ASUU claimed that the government had not appointed vice-chancellors for several universities, leading to a lack of leadership and direction.
- Non-implementation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS): UTAS is a platform designed to track and manage university finances. ASUU claimed that the government had not implemented the platform, leading to financial mismanagement.
- Poor welfare package: The union complained about the poor welfare package for academic staff, including inadequate housing, transportation, and medical facilities.
- Non-implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement: ASUU claimed that the government had not implemented the 2009 agreement, which addressed issues such as staff salaries, allowances, and infrastructure development.
- Poor infrastructure: The union complained about the poor state of university infrastructure, including classrooms, libraries, and laboratories.
- Lack of autonomy: ASUU claimed that universities were not being given sufficient autonomy to manage their affairs, leading to bureaucratic bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
These grievances led to a strike by ASUU members in 2020, which lasted for several months. The strike was eventually called off after the government and the union reached a new agreement.