ASUU
decries funding shortfalls in university system, warns of looming strike
Port
Harcourt zone Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) on Sunday decried the funding shortfall affecting the payment of
university staff salaries, likely to result to strike.
ASUU
said the federal and state governments are underfunding the universities.
Prof.
Beke Sese, Coordinator of ASUU Port Harcourt
Zone,made the claim in a press conference after the union's zonal meeting at
the Faculty of Law Campus of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Yenagoa, Bayelsa,
Sese
frowned at the situation where university workers subjected to deprivation
"by either paying fractional salaries or outright non-payment of
salaries".
Sese
pointed out that while NDU was not paid salaries for a cumulative period of six
months in 2016, the union check-off dues in RSUST and IAUE were withheld by the
Rivers State government.
He noted that the development was tantamount
to paying fractions of lecturers salaries.
He
said Uniport also suffered a similar fate and when there was hope of refund of
the withheld portion of salaries,
government in the month of February 2017 resumed its policy of paying
fractional salaries.
Sese
said congresses within Port Harcourt zone have reviewed the situations and
concluded that it is not sustainable especially at this period of economic recession.
He
emphasised that "it is the height of irresponsibility and wickedness to
withhold university staff salaries while establishing new universities at the
same time".
The
zonal ASUU chairman therefore warned that lecturers were being compelled by the
actions or inactions of government to consider the decision of withdrawing
services.
"We
call on students, parents, the media and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene
and request the federal and state governments to live up to their
responsibilities in the universities.
“This
is to avoid the imminent and avoidable closure of our campuses", Sese said.
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