By; Samson Yaki, Lafia.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Abuja zone, has expressed its concern over the failure of the Federal Government to stop the unilateral drastic cut in the personal costs of allocations to Federal Universities in the country.
The Abuja Zone of the union, is made up of University of Abuja, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nasarawa State University, Keffi Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai and Federal University, Lafia.
In a statement signed by the Zonal Coordinator of the zone, Dr. Theophilus Lagi, the FG began these deductions in December 2015 and, “it has become a pattern employed by FGN to debilitate the workers movement in the country, especially ASUU”.
ASUU, however, warned that, “this singular action of the FGN is a recipe for the death of public university education in Nigeria. This implies that the masses shall no longer have access to university education in Nigeria and therefore, Nigeria shall continue to be under-developed.”
Lagi however added that the solution, is for the FG to ensure the release of full personnel costs including arrears.
He said: “World over, salary is sacrosanct and payment of full salary (including all earned allowances) is the lubricant of the wheels of industrial harmony within the university establishment.
“ASUU insists that her members have rendered their duties in full (100%) and as such, they should have their salaries and allowances paid in full and not in percentages or decimals.
“It is on this note that ASUU unequivocally demand an immediate restoration of releases of the full personnel costs (including arrears thereof) to all Federal Universities in Nigeria, in order to forestall the infliction of consequential damage to public university education in Nigeria.”
