The Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Calabar chapter, has expressed frustration over the Federal Governmentâs failure to address longstanding demands, warning that strike action may be imminent.
At a press conference on Tuesday in Calabar, the branch Chairperson, Peter Ubi, said that despite intensive negotiations, several critical issues remain unresolved, which he described as a deliberate attempt by the government to disregard the Unionâs collective bargaining principles.
âThree months ago, our Union highlighted our concerns at a press conference at our National Secretariat, under the theme, âThe Most Powerful Weapon Against Poverty, Extremism, and Ignorance Was Not the Bullet, but Education,ââ he said.
âWe raised key demands, including the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding and revitalisation of universities, payment of outstanding 25â35% salary arrears, promotion arrears spanning over four years, and unresolved third-party deductions. The government promised action on these issues, yet here we are, several years later, with no resolution,â Ubi added.
Ubi noted that trust in the government has eroded. âOur members are already burdened with loans. All we need is for the government to sign our renegotiated agreement, which would improve our purchasing power and reduce reliance on cooperative society loans,â he said.
He also criticised the governmentâs treatment of retired academic staff, noting that those who served under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) have been neglected.
âIt is unacceptable that a senior academic who has served for over 40 years receives a monthly salary of just N150,000, while retired colleagues struggle with chronic health conditions and support unemployed children they have educated. This trend must be reversed,â Ubi said.
While commending the government for placing a moratorium on the establishment of new universities, he urged authorities to ensure that any future universities have clear development plans before approval.
