Zonal coordinator of the zone, Dennis Aribodor, accused the Federal Government of underfunding public education in the country at a press conference in Owerri, Imo State.
He also accused the Federal Government of treating university lecturers as 16th century slaves.
He announced that ASUU nationwide would be shutting down the universities in the next 14 days should the Federal Government fails to address the welfare issues affecting public university lecturers in Nigeria.
Aribodor said the resolution of the National Executive Council of the ASUU, following its meeting at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, on 17th-18th August 2024, gave a 21-day ultimatum to the government of Nigeria to address all the unresolved issues that have plagued the public university system. This ultimatum was duly communicated to the government through the Minister of Education via a letter dated 20th August 2024.
The issues in contention include (a) conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; (b) release of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries due to the 2022 strike action; (c) release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, (d) release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions; (e) funding for the revitalization of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government budget; (g) payment of Earned Academic Allowances, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government budget; (h) proliferation of universities by Federal and state governments; (i) implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities; and (j) University Transparency and Accountability Solution as a replacement for IPPIS.