Representatives attack ASUU president over allegations of deception against Gbajabiamila

[ad_1]

Some members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday approached the President of the Academic Staff of Universities Union (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, over his allegation that the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, used deception to convince the union to call off its strike.

Pointblanknews.com reports that the ASUU president, in an interview with a national daily on Tuesday, accused Gbajabiamila of deception in asking the union to call off its eight-month strike in October with a written promise that the government would compensate without deadline in full, the arrears of wages due to the members.

But reacting to the allegation in a statement in Abuja, House of Representatives spokesman Benjamin Okezie Kalu noted that at no time had the Speaker of the House of Representatives pledged to clear the arrears of wages due to union members for the duration of their strike. .

He said the House of Representatives helped resolve the strike by pledging to improve the welfare program for university professors and revitalization funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.

The statement read: These commitments are reflected in the Appropriation Bill 2023, which comprises One Hundred and Seventy Billion Naira (170,000,000,000.00) to provide a level of increase in the Teachers’ Welfare Scheme. University and an additional Three Hundred Billion Naira (300,000,000,000.00) in revitalization funds.

Additionally, the House of Representatives continues to work with stakeholders; the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) and the Union of Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into integrated payroll. and personnel information system (IPPIS). This effort is overseen by the Chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.

This is a matter settled in law. See S. 43(1)(a) Trade Disputes Act, Cap T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN). The executive’s decision not to pay lecturers salaries for time spent on strike is justified by the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial action.

Nevertheless, the President has made interventions to obtain an exemption in this regard, and Professor Osodeke is well aware of this. The public interest in ensuring the proper functioning of the higher education sector is of paramount concern to all who understand the transformative role of education in any society.

For this reason, the 9th House of Representatives has been consistent in its efforts to explore avenues for reforming and improving the framework of public education in the country, from basic education to higher education.

Our goals in this regard will not be achieved when stakeholders choose to ignore substantive issues and consider bold ideas in favor of cheap blackmail and immoral propaganda, the statement said.

The House blamed protracted industrial action in higher education on the alleged brink and a bad faith approach to negotiations by the ASUU president.

Professor Osodekes’ bad faith approach to negotiations and his penchant for tightrope politics are important reasons why universities have been on strike for so long.

His ongoing interventions continue to threaten the progress made to rule out the possibility of further disruptions to the academic calendar of universities.

Therefore, I ask him, in his capacity as President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to refrain from making any further misleading statements against the House of Representatives and the President, Representative Femi Gbajabiamila.

There is no room for belligerence and selfish agitation at this critical time. Now is the time to have calm heads and steady hands, working together for the common good, the statement said.

[ad_2]