University Students
The Commitee of Vice-Chancellors, CVC, of Nigeria has waded into the ongoing impasse between the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and the Federal Government to bring to an end the strike that has paralyzed academic activities in the country’s universities for the past six months.
Rising from an emergency meeting called on the heels of an invitation extended to Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission for a meeting with the Hon. Minister of Education on Tuesday, the CVC, made far reaching recommendations on the major issues in contention after reviewing the positions of the lecturers and the government
In a statement signed by the Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor Sulayman A. Abdulkareem, the CVC, isolated the key issues in contention and made the following recommendations:
It urged both parties to respect the findings of the committee set up to look into the suitability of deploying for payment either the Integrated Payment Platform System, IPPIS, of the government and the University Transparent Accountability Solution, UTAS, proposed by the lecturer, stating that, “the updated platform must take care of the peculiarities of
the Universities as pointed out by the various unions.”
On ASUU’s call for immediate release of N170 billion to complete one tranche of Needs Assessment Revitalization fund in line with 2020 MoA to put close to the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, which the government has agreed to include in the 2023 budget, the CVC called on ASUU to exercise patience while the Federal Government should be honourable to include
this demand in the 2023 budget as promised. The Committee supported ASUU’s demand for immediate release of N50 billion to complete the payment of arrears of Earned Allowances in line with the 2020 MoA to put close to the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement
“The Federal Government should consider this demand, source for funds and pay this N50 billion now as a sign of goodwill and keeping faith with the 2020 MoA, while ASUU should reconsider its position and reciprocate this gesture to suspend the strike,” the CVC said. It appealed to the government to expedite action of the release of White Paper on the 2021 Visitation Panels as demanded by ASSU. While it agreed to the call to curb the proliferation of universities in the country, the CVC drew attention to the constitutional provision on education as a matter on the concurrent legislative list and urged both parties to await the outcome of the draft bill to empower the Nigeria University Commission, NUC, on the matter.
On the thorny issue of no-work-no-pay stand of the government, which plans not to pay lecturers for the six months they had been on strike as well as the salary adjustment being considered for the lecturers, the CVC recommended
“The position of Government on this item, (no-work-no-pay) will create more damage to the system because the students would bear the brunt of ASUU’s response. ii. Universities because of the peculiar nature of their operations must cover the
scheme of work as provided by the curriculum. iii. CVC appeals to the Federal Government to re-consider its stand and pay the withheld salaries on compassionate ground, and especially in the interest of Nigerian students. iv. Government’s acceptance of this appeal would no doubt facilitate a quick resolution of the impasse.
“CVC supports the call for salary adjustment especially in the present dispensation where the templates used by the
National Salaries, Incomes Wages Commission and the IPPIS have depleted the salaries of academics and Vice Chancellors, to an all-time low. Ii. Chief Lecturers in Polytechnics and Colleges of Education now earn more than Professors in Universities. The proposal by the Nimi Briggs Committee should be revisited as their figures represents a better offer that will stem the tide of unrest in the Universities. III. Financial Autonomy should be extended to Governing Councils to allow them to determine the salaries of the staff in their various universities subject to a national minimum as agreed by all stakeholders.
In conclusion, the CVC expressed sympathy with “our students, parents and other stakeholders over the prolonged strike which is the second longest in our history.”
“As Chief Executives of our various institutions, we can only advice and caution our principals against a forceful reopening of universities as this would be most counter- productive. First, it must be noted that no Federal University was formally shut down.
“Second, the power to open or shut down a university is vested only in the Senate of each university. Third any attempt to keep students on campus without their being fully engaged in academic and other activities may have disastrous consequences.
“We also note that the six months of industrial action has triggered unintended consequences such as prolonging the academic session, exhausted financial reserves, and creating two and in some cases, three backlogs of admission
exercises. Many special equipment especially in our laboratories will need to be re- calibrated, physical facilities need to be renovated and electricity and water bills are outstanding. Given that many of us have not received their overheads, Government will need to support the universities with special grants for re-opening.
