The Academic Staff of Universities, ASUU, has kicked against the Federal Government intention to reopen Universities in the country without furnishing them with facilities that would help curb spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The zonal Chairman of the Union, Comrade Abdulkadir Muhmud, during a briefing with news men, stated that they are not against the reopening of Universities, but insisted that adequate measure must be put in place to help fight the spread of the deadly COVID-19 Pandemic.
“If the government goes ahead to open the Nation Universities without fully taking into consideration necessary measures against COVID-19, anything that happens to students’ they should be held responsible.
He added, “let me make it clear that ASUU is not averse to the opening of public Universities, but before doing that government must provide all necessary conditions that will make it safe and conducive for our members and the students to avoid a spike in the case of the pandemic.
Comrade Muhmud argued that other countries with even more better facilities that reopened schools have been forced to close them due to the spike in COVID-19 cases, stressing the government should learn from the experience of these countries.
He further stated that Public Universities accounts for 90 per cent of the students population in Nigeria, saying the government should not allow Private Univerersities who are pursuing their selfish interest to pressurize them.
On the Integrated Payrol and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Muhmud hinted that the position of ASUU rejecting the IPPIS has not changed; stating that the Union will ensure that every kobo illegally collected from them is recovered.
The Union also advice the government to re-start and conclude the re-nogotiation of the 2009 FGN/ ASUU agreement, based on ILO’s collective bargaining principles.
ASUU urged President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate and activate visitation panels to all Federal Universities and ordered that the outcome be fully implemented, while citing the illegal recruitment being carried out by Federal Universities.
