Despite suspending its strike to give the federal government room to implement the Memorandum of Action signed with the union, the University of Abuja branch of ASUU has lamented that the federal government was not keeping to its word.
The chairman of the branch, Kasim Umar, who spoke to LEADERSHIP in Abuja on Tuesday, lamented what he called systemic, deliberate, and corrupt actions of the Accountant General of the Federation against the future of the university education system in Nigeria. He said the victimisation of the University lecturers and their families by the AGF through continuous withholding of salaries of members and check-off dues since February 2020 was a clear indication of plan to kill ASUU.
“The AGF under the leadership of Mr Ahmed Idris withheld salaries of over one thousand members across federal universities, with University of Abuja Branch having 67 members who are yet to be paid from February 2020 to date. “In the same vein, over 38 of our members are owed arrears of eight months salaries. Where salaries were paid to some members, it was not accompanied with pay advice or pay slip. In addition, check-off of the branch was amputated with payment of 5% as check off dues, and 95% balance unaccounted for 19 months.“The union is now vindicated for its principled rejection of the forceful imposition on our members of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System .