The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State universities has stated that any agreement between the Federal Government and the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is not binding on State governments.
This was disclosed by Yusuf Ali, SAN, the committee’s Chairman, in an interview with Punch while responding to questions on the 25% increase for professors and 23.5% for other cadres of university workers.
His comments followed the rejection of the government’s proposed pay rise by the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim.
Recall that ASUU had on February 14, 2022, embarked on strike over demands such as the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement and the deployment of the University Transparency Accountability Solution, UTAS among others.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, at a meeting with vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors and chairmen of Governing Councils of federal universities in Abuja, said the government cannot afford more than 23.5% and 35% increase for university lecturers and professors respectively.
According to Ali, State universities do not share the same employers with federal universities and any attempt to impose agreements would amount to bastardisation of federalism.
Ali said, “We held a conference and the resolutions will soon be made available and sent to all the governors. We are not part of the negotiations, so whatever negotiations the Federal Government makes with its employees will not be binding on state universities. They are our employees and that is part of the bastardisation of federalism.
“For instance, do policies made in your media house bind on other media houses? That is the way it is meant to be. The Federal Government has its employees and the states have theirs. The government may set a minimum standard and people may decide on whatever it is they want to do for their workers.
“Our position is that we are not bound by an agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU. They are dealing with their employees.”
See Also: Strike: FG Peddling Lies, Yet To Meet Demands – ASUU
Similarly, SSANU president said the union does not agree with the proposal by the government.
He said, “The government said it recommended a new salary table with the 23.5% increment. It is different from something approved. Our people asked for a 700% increment in line with the current economic reality in the country.
“We checked the last time salary was reviewed, it was 2009. We considered the dollar exchange rate, economy, inflation, and market value since then and now and we arrived at the 700% increment.
“When they told us, we humbly rejected it and told them they could do better because 23.5% will not make any significant improvement on our members. Look at the tax deductions, and pension contributions, if you add all these and subtract them from 23.5%, what will be left is 3%. We have replied the government that they can do better, we don’t want the 23.5 %”
Source: Punch
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