NewStats: 3,262,573 , 8,177,549 topics. Date: Monday, 02 June 2025 at 07:43 PM 6s385v

The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) has explained why it rejected the federal government’s offer of academic salary structure.

Recall that at the resumed meeting of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and ASUU 2009 Agreement Re-negotiation Committee on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, the government team presented an “Award” of a Recommended Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) prepared by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to ASUU.

But, in a press statement signed by ASUU president, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, which was made available to LEADERSHIP, the Union firmly rejected the “Award”.

He said the 1981 FGN-ASUU Agreement, under the Shehu Shagari-led istration, established the principle of collective bargaining, based on the Wages Boards and Industrial Council’s Decree No 1 of 1973, the Trade Dispute Act (1976), ILO Conventions 49 (1948), 91(1950), 154 (1988) and recommendation 153 (1981), Udoji Commission Report of 1974, and Cookey Commission Report of 1981.

 
The statement reads in parts, “It also provided a platform for resolving such important issues as special Salaries and Conditions of Service of University Staff, University Funding, roles of Pro Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors, and National Universities Commission (NUC). A key outcome was a special salary scale for university staff known as University Salary Structure (USS).

 
“At the commencement of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement on 16th March 2017, both the Federal Government and ASUU Teams agreed to be guided by the following principles as their of reference which includes, reversal of the decay in the Nigerian University System, in order reposition it for its responsibilities in national development.

“Reversal of the brain drain, not only by enhancing the remuneration of academic staff, but also by disengaging them from the encumbrances of a unified civil service wage structure; (iii) Restoration of Nigerian Universities, through immediate, massive and sustained financial intervention; and nsuring genuine university autonomy and academic freedom.

 
“Government’s surreptitious move to set aside the principle of collective bargaining, which is globally in practice, has the potential of damaging lecturers’ psyche and destroying commitment to the university system. This is, no doubt, injurious to Nigeria’s aspiration to become an active player in the global knowledge industry

“Rejecting a salary package arrived at through collective bargaining is a repudiation of government’s pronouncements on reversing “brain drain”. It is common knowledge that, more now than in the 1980s and 1990s, Nigerian scholars, especially in scarce areas like science and medicine, are migrating in droves to Europe, America and many parts of Africa such as South Africa, Rwanda, and Ghana with ive environment to ply their trades as well as competitive reward systems for intellectual efforts. Does the Nigerian government care about what becomes of public universities in another five or ten years if this trend continues?”

Osodeke said federal government’s repudiation of collective bargaining was in bad faith, adding that it’s a retrogressive step for a democratic government to abrogate the collective bargaining principle after more than 40 years of its introduction into the Nigerian University System.

He added, “Government imposed the ongoing strike action on ASUU and it has encouraged it to linger because of its provocative indifference. The Munzali Jibril-led renegotiation committee submitted the first Draft Agreement in May 2021 but government’s official response did not come until about one year later! Again, the “Award” presented by the Nimi Briggs-led Team came across in a manner of take-it-or-leave-it on a sheet of paper. No serious country in the world treats their scholars this way.”

He lamented that it was a wasteful spending, misappropriation of fund and outright stealing of collective patrimony.

“ASUU believes that if the leakages in the management of the country’s resources are stopped, there will be more than enough to meet the nation’s revenue and expenditure targets without borrowing and plunging the country into a debt crisis as is the case now.

“The New Draft Agreement has other major recommendations for the funding of major components of the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.

“One of such recommendations is the tax on cellphone and communication lines. Ironically, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning recently announced its readiness to implement ASUU’s recommendation, as a revenue source, but not for education, without acknowledging the Union,” he added.

The ASUU president further urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, to return to the New Draft Agreement of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Renegotiation Committee whose work spanned a total of five and half years as a demonstration of good faith.

https://leadership.ng/why-we-rejected-federal-govts-salary-structure-ASUU/

I really pity Nigerian students... They are the ones at the receiving end

University Salary Structure (USS) which ASUU demands can be accomplished easily by Federal Government if all misappropriation of revenues and theft and leakages within the system are stopped.

them children are not here ooo
Even a gbero done carry pikin comot
Na me and you remain ooooo

When two elephants fights, the grass suffers... Kpele nigerian students.

If you want to please ASUU, be ready to collapse the economy.

I don wash my hands off ASUU and Medical Doctors matter tey tey.

Below is my final submission.

Throwback:
Atiku has forgotten the ASUU 2001 agreement?

Was he not Vice President then?

Any leader who can satisfy ASUU and Medical Doctors, that leader has already mortgaged other sectors of the labour force.

They cannot be satisfied. I stand by my claim.

Even when they are satisfied on their own , they will still hold everyone hostage if the Government approves the demands of those they consider beneath them.

I laugh in JOHESU and ASUP, the inferior kin of Medical Doctors and ASUU. They must never be compensated or allowed any power above their superior kin.

Sometimes it's hard to know the truth.... Not enough journalism here.

The only thing ASUU does is explain and explain, while the government begs and beg.....only the students are the losers. In the last 5 years, 2 years has gone to strike. A 23yr old is now 25 and still an undergrad. He finished at 27 no be rejected on application for overage, only under 24yr old are given a better chance.


In a country of hardship, time is the most valuable asset that the youth have... can't these bickering bodies be lenient on the youths??

FG and ASUU should please find a common ground, this is do hurtful.

I always said it; No government can please ASUU. Selfish and inconsiderate Union.

Innocent students spending extra years in school because of a failed system

God have mercy on us, Amen

Asuumumu

ASUU and FG are were.

If una end the strike without ensuring a Professor take home is higher than that of Presidential Aides... especially when una don know wetin one of PMB's aides dey take home..

Una be Epa.. Groundnut

I am completely tired of both ASUU and FG.

In fact, both of them can go on strike forever.

I don't care anymore.

These set of politicians must reap the fruit of their wickedness

bewla:
them children are not here ooo
Even a gbero done carry pikin comot
Na me and you remain ooooo

Our present crops of leaders are evil.
Just imagine d time wasting, student has turned something else at homes!
Engaging on all manner of evils to earn a living.
While our politicians are stealing billions from the nations coffers...
God plz "DURECT OUR NOBLE COURSE"

Nawa o

Free course on how to create online banking website at

Turimi.com/bank

hold them to pay politicians are criminals

Recovery looot is enough to sort ASUU out unfortunately it has been relooted

Let's face the fact, education is expensive anywhere in the world. While the federal universities are run almost free of charge for students, ASUU is requesting a double of salary and wants autonomy of university financial runnings.
ASUU too should recommend ways by which revenue generation can increase in universities even if it is to increase tuitions.
Moreso, ASUU should note that all other associations/unions in civil service are watching on standby to see the outcome of their salary negotiations. They will all later approach the FG for review of their salary scales as well using ASUU'S new salary scale as a template.

For the sake of the students, ASUU should reason. Things are very bad in all other sectors. But the damage caused due to the strike has already damaged the educational sector more. Students are losing interest daily and monthly also the younger ones that are supposed to be seriously aspiring to the tertiary level are losing interest. Something need to be done from ASUU side

opera1:
I always said it; No government can please ASUU. Selfish and inconsiderate Union.

They live in a world of their own.

Very useless to our Democracy and the rights of the citizens.

One would have thought that our ivory towers would be an epitome of what our society should aspire too, alas, it is what our society must refrain from.

They are more oppressive and disrespectful of the rights of man.

How they managed to adapt and comport themselves abroad after donkey years in the Nigerian systems, is still a mystery to me.

Buhari failed 3 times in managing Nigeria, first term as a ministry, second between 2005 -19 and thirdly 2019-2023.
But ASUU should also reason by shifting ground on these issues. We all know the present state of things in Nigeria. We can recover in other sector but the damage caused by this strike may not be recovered again.

We can all criticize the government all we want. But having followed this issue for a while now. ASUU is the main reason why the strike is still lingering on . They are getting the sympathy of Nigerians cause we hate this government so much that we don't care to see the narrative they give whether right or wrong.
ASUU simply don't want to compromise.
If I was president I wouldn't pay ASUU a dime too.

You can't eat your cake and have it. Yeye association

The story is too long. The short of it is that you want money before you suspend strike. It is neither the fault of either of you. It is we the parents' fault.

A very large number of senior lecturers know that there's no learning of any kind in Nigeria. That's why they ship their children abroad to study. The illiterate politicians with forged or purchased certificates are doing the same thing.

Sometimes these people would want to make one to start doubting the existence of God. How can people be this wicked?
On Fridays they Muslim among them will be in the front during jummat prayer, even wearing white clothes to signify "holiness".
Same among the Christian folks. How can God just look the other way ?

opera1:
I always said it; No government can please ASUU. Selfish and inconsiderate Union.

True
If the ASUU president is lucky to find himself as the president of Nigeria, he will also not be able to approve the agreement. Very selfish people. Even if government approve the agreement, they cannot add any value beyond what they have been doing

ASUU cannot be satisfied.

Even if a new government takes over they'll still go on strike. ASUU does not understand compromise.

If the FG fulfils all of ASUU's demands, then let's get ready for a collapse of the economy.

adioolayi:
If una end the strike without ensuring a Professor take home is higher than that of Presidential Aides... especially when una don know wetin one of PMB's aides dey take home..

Una be Epa.. Groundnut

Aides are appointment.
ASUU are civil servants. Irrespective of the government of the day, they are still there. There is a difference between civil servants and public servants in Nigerian context.

mascot87:


True
If the ASUU president is lucky to find himself as the president of Nigeria, he will also not be able to approve the agreement. Very selfish people. Even if government approve the agreement, they cannot add any value beyond what they have been doing

Seconded

Block economic leakages.

This APC government encouraged and ed strikes, along with massive propaganda against the GEJ government and secure political power in 2015.

Shortly after assumption of office, PMB told us that he did not know that the rot in the economy was so massive. I then wondered if he did not at his level within and outside government, have enough information on what was happening in the economy, before campaigning to be the president. All sorts of promises were made to Nigerians as evidence of their sainthood. Here we are today with several strikes troubling the nation. APC has failed on all indices of leadership.

Corruption is the major challenge that we face, along with very poor economic planning. Politicians take undue advantage to pilfer, loot and empty the treasury. In most cases government is left stranded and wondering where the resources would come from to pay salaries.

ASUU has been a recurring problem. With the serious problem of brain drain, lecturers who are encouraged to remain in Nigeria, look at their s from the eyes of their colleagues who have ventured out of the country. They want to be well paid, just like other workers. Government has the responsibility of paying on the basis of already written agreements.

Now we are facing serious economic problems, with an economy that is largely consumption based. We have challenges with security and electricity. All the indices of a great and prosperous nation are missing. The President appears to be sleeping and even his ers are puzzled. Nigeria is bleeding.

Government officials do not seem to be worried or in a hurry to sort out this lingering issue. This may partly be because their children largely study abroad. Financial loopholes must be plugged for us to have a better economy.

We need a much better leadership than we currently have for better things to happen.