Sunday, 19 March 2017

ASUU decries funding shortfalls in university system, warns of looming strike

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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