The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of neglect and called for resistance against what he described as “obnoxious policies”.
This was disclosed by the Union’s President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna during a press briefing held at the University of Jos Branch Secretariat in Jos.
Speaking on the government’s handling of agreements, Piwuna said the union has identified institutions he believes are blocking solutions.
“You believe what we are saying is you will need to start praying because now that we have brought out these issues, if he continues to pray with the same intensity he used to, he is going to see God not answering it, so he needs to pray higher.”
“And we have identified areas, persons that we think are standing in the way of his prayers: the Federal Ministry of Finance, in the last six months, we have been told at NEC that 20, 25, 35 percent is before the Minister of Finance.”
“Promotion arrears is pending before the Minister of Finance. We’ve been told that our allowances signed in December has not been paid because the Ministry of Finance has not acted.”
“So we are helping him to refocus his prayer very well because he needs to call the names of these people in his prayers if he wants the stability to continue.”
On engagement with the presidency, Piwuna said ASUU has repeatedly sought an audience with President Bola Tinubu.
“In terms of whether we have interacted with President Tinubu or not, why he is making those statements, as who has said this repeatedly, that it is easier for the president of Nigeria to see students than to see his intellectuals. We have written several letters requesting for an audience with the president.”
“It has reached a point that it appears as if we are begging to see our president as the body of intellectuals.”
“I think it is the most shameful thing for anybody in government, they should be ashamed, because nobody does that. No leadership in this world does that. That your intellectuals, that should be your handymen.”
He also addressed outstanding salaries, saying, “When we went on strike, there was a balance, our retained salaries was seven and a half months. When President Tinubu came to power, he paid four, there is a balance of three and a half months.
“Our position is that we have worked for the three and a half months, and we should be paid in full.
“Any attempt, any desire, any thought by any government official that we are going to let go of that money is a dream, because we will not.”
Using an Ngas proverb, he warned: “In my dialect, I’m an Ngas man, there is something that they used to say, and I’ll say it as ‘it’s the small, small water in the ridges of a farm that sometimes gather and become a river and can even drown somebody’. So this three and a half months is a water in the ridges.”
“Many others are gathering, and we hope that it will not become a big river that will sweep some people away, but we are not going to keep quiet about that three and a half months.”
On Nigeria’s electoral process, Piwuna was blunt, “How would Nigerians resist these obnoxious policies? The most democratic way, the most democratic way to resist these obnoxious policies is through Election democratic.”
“We wait after four years, we vote them out, and we get the right people to do it. But you and I know that we don’t have elections in Nigeria.”
“We all know we don’t have elections in Nigeria. With due respect to our colleagues, including the senior advocate of Nigeria that is sitting to my right, we don’t have elections in Nigeria. What we have are courts giving us our leaders.”
“So, if you want to be a leader in Nigeria, make sure you know the courts very well. That is what we are seeing, and it’s so flagrant.”
Speaking on the State of the nation, Piwuna said, “Even NJC has confirmed that by punishing some of the judges, some lawyers have also been sanctioned. So it’s a confirmation that this electoral process is a fallacy.”
“So what do we do? Is to resist! We will continue to have these press conferences when there is need. We will go to the streets when there is need. Every Nigerian should realise that election is not going to change this country at the rate we are going. It is resistance that will change this country.”
“We must resist government, we must continue to call them out. That is the resistance I’m talking about. I’m not talking about armed resistance.”
“We must call them out. We must see what they are doing that is not right.”
He cited the Osun governorship exercise as an example, “Nigerians living in Osun State should tell us exactly whether there was election tomorrow. There will be election, or whether election took place tomorrow in Osun State or not.
“The fact, like I was saying, the fact that today 80 to 90% of our governors are converging in one state is just they are going to vote, isn’t it?
“So we’ll see the outcome of the result tomorrow evening, because it’s obvious. And we have accepted that in this country. It happened in Edo. Happened in Ekiti. Now it is Osun State. Winner takes all.
Piwuna lamented the future for Nigerian children: “But, Nigerians must continue to speak up against bad governors wherever they sit. We must not be afraid. We are already dying.
“If you don’t know, they are killing us. We have a baby in this hall now. I’m sure you’ve seen her. One of the people that is seated here, a seven-eight-year-old child. This is the Nigeria she is going to grow up knowing.”
“Unfortunately, this is the Nigeria our children are going to grow up in, and it is very, very unfortunate.”
On conversion of non-teaching staff to teaching positions, the ASUU President said, “Yes, that’s why excess workload has always been an issue because of lack of quiet power.
“Okay, this university that we are seated in now, they are about to conduct interview, an interview that has been long in the offing for about three, four years, departments have complained.
“They have complained. I’ve heard this man sitting here in front next to you say he’s the only staff in his department at the time. He’s the head of department, the exam officer, the level coordinator, he’s everything. So evidence abound.”
“Evidence abound that it signifies yes paucity of staff. But what we are saying is that when you want to convert, follow lay down procedure.”
He cited cases at Federal University Wukari and Federal University Lokoja where principal officers are seeking academic ranks.
“We have a case in Federal University Wukari right now, where a non-teaching staff is converting to the rank of is it Reader or yes associate professor, and you know the argument that when he was registrar of bursar, he was a visiting lecturer to that department.
“So he has been giving lectures as a visiting lecturer, and that now that he has finished his PhD, he is a principal officer. He should be given the rank of a reader. We have another case in Federal University Lokoja, same thing. So what we are saying is follow due process.
“All we are saying is, follow due process. We need their experience. In fact, there are universities, you know, that bring people from the private sector, retired judges, to come and take some courses. But if you want to come as a permanent staff, you should follow the due process”, he stressed.
