The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has made an announcement stating that its members would not be resuming their duties despite the Federal Government’s payment of the salary arrears. The statement was contained in a circular titled ‘Payment of Minimum Wage Arrears’ and was distributed by the University of Lagos branch of ASUU.
Expanding on the circular, the Chairman of the UNILAG branch of ASUU, Dele Ashiru called the arrears payment simply a “long overdue” balm on a hurting wound and insisted that the core demands of the body were yet to be met. He said that the body’s leaders had been bombarded with calls concerning the payment of the arrears but reminded members that the payment wasn’t part of their core demands. Such demands included the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreements, payment of promotion arrears, the proliferation of State Universities and governance issues, and the abrogation of the fraudulent and corrupt IPPIS scheme.
Ashiru said that while the union was appreciative of the unasked payment, its members could not be allowed to let their struggles fall by the wayside. He advised them to spend the funds in their hands wisely and said that only through a united front could they ultimately achieve their goals.