We will not allow you to destroy public universities – ASUU tells Nigerian govt, governors

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that the union will not stand idly by and allow the university system in Nigeria to be destroyed by both the federal and state governments.

ASUU Chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter, Professor Ayo Akinwole, made this declaration when he led other members of the union to protest against the precarious conditions under which lecturers work.

Akinwole, speaking during the protest on Thursday, emphasized that the union has a duty to defend university education in Nigeria and safeguard knowledge production for future generations.

He criticised the fraudulent deduction of monies meant for unions and cooperative societies to which members belong, without remitting them since 2020.

“Members of the Union subscribe to unions, cooperatives, and other societies within their respective universities, where they pay monthly check-off dues, deductions, contributions, etc. In accordance with labor laws and industrial best practices, these third-party deductions are deducted directly from their salaries and should be remitted to the beneficiary unions and societies. Due to the challenges with IPPIS, these dues have been deducted by IPPIS operators since February 2020, yet many of these deductions have not been remitted. This is not only sabotage but also fraudulent.”

“We cannot allow the university system in Nigeria to be destroyed by successive transient governments. It is our historic duty as intellectuals to defend university education in Nigeria and protect knowledge production for future generations.”

ASUU Chairman of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Babatunde Lawal, added his voice, urging both federal and state governments to prioritize funding for tertiary education.

He added that the union’s demands are legitimate, stressing ASUU’s ongoing rejection of IPPIS.

“IPPIS violates university autonomy and the Acts establishing universities. In addition to this illegality, IPPIS is notorious for its fraudulent practices that impose undue hardship on Nigerian academics and disrupt university operations in payroll management.

“ASUU continues to reject IPPIS. We are concerned that more than four months after the government directed federal universities and other tertiary institutions to exit the discredited payment platform, our members’ salaries are still arbitrarily withheld. Moreover, third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, pension deductions, and union check-off dues) remain unreleased. The platform, under the guise of ‘New IPPIS,’ continues to be used contrary to the Federal Executive Council’s directive.”