Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), along with students, staged a protest on Thursday to address the nine unresolved demands of the union by the Federal Government.
The demonstrators, holding placards with messages such as “Education is life; proper funding of university education is non-negotiable,” “Lecturers too want an earthly reward for teaching all professions,” and “Stop establishing universities you cannot fund,” marched from Julius Berger Hall to the UNILAG gate and back to the ASUU-UNILAG Secretariat.
The lecturers and students sang solidarity songs and distributed handbills detailing their demands. These demands include:
1. Conclusion of the renegotiation of the FGN/ASUU agreement.
2. Agreement based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s draft Agreement of 2021.
3. Release of withheld three-and-half months’ salaries due to the 2022 strike action.
4. Release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
5. Release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.
6. Funding for the revitalization of public universities (partly included in the 2023 Federal Government’s Budget).
7. Payment of Earned Academic Allowances (partly included in the 2023 Federal Government’s Budget).
8. Addressing the proliferation of universities by Federal and State Governments.
9. Implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities and adoption of University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS) in place of IPPIS.
ASUU-UNILAG Chairman, Prof. Kayode Adebayo, stated that the protest aimed to raise public awareness about the government’s insensitivity and inaction regarding the union’s demands.
More details to follow.
