Enugu – The seamless academic activities that has projected the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, as the best among its contemporaries in the country could be punctured as the unions in the university have threatened to embark on an I definite strike from Saturday, January 18, 2025.

The threat to embark on the industrial action was contained in a circular issued by the the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of all unions on campus dated 17th December, 2024.

According to the letter tagged “Notice of Strike/Industrial Dispute”, jointly signed by all the chairmen and Secretaries of all the four unions on campus – Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT); Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU – and addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, noted that the decision to embark on Indefinite strike was the management’s failure to respond to their demands .

The unions noted that should the management fail to act on their demands by defraying the outstanding arrears owed to ESUT workers at the expiration of the one month notice, between December 18 2024 and January 18 2025, the unions may not have any other option than to embark on indefinite strike

The circular reads;

NOTICE OF STRIKE/INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

The Joint action Committee of all unions on Campus hereby wish to notify you and your management that the patience of all Esut workers who are represented in all the unions on Campus have been stretched Beyond their elasticity Limit.

It is close to (3) years (three) since you assumed office as the vice-chancellor of our premier University. The unions had on several occasions brought to your notice that we are being owned backlog of arrears of entitlements but unfortunately, all our appeals to you and your management to start addressing this demands has fallen on deaf ears.

Sir, the purpose of this communication is to notify you that you have between today, 17th day of Dec. 2024 and 18th day of Jan. 2025 to defray the outstanding arrears owed to Esut workers.

At the expiration of this one month notice, the unions may not have any other option than to embark on indefinite strike

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU), Bauchi, has embarked on an indefinite strike to demand improved working conditions from the university’s administration.

The announcement came after an emergency congress held at the Yuli Campus in Bauchi. Comrade Awwal Hussain Nuhu, the ASUU Chairperson for the SAZU branch, said the union had exhausted all available mechanisms to resolve the issues, but efforts to engage the university’s management and government yielded no results.

“After extensive deliberations, a member proposed a motion for a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike action, which was seconded by another member,” Nuhu stated. The congress then passed a resolution to begin the strike at 12:00 PM on Friday, November 29, 2024.

He emphasized that during the strike, members are directed to halt all academic activities, including teaching, marking, meetings, and accreditation processes, until further notice. The decision underscores the union’s frustration over what it perceives as a lack of readiness and commitment by the authorities to address its demands.

ASUU has called on all its members at SAZU to comply fully with the resolution, as the strike will persist until the union’s concerns are adequately addressed.

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By Timothy Nwobodo

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT) ESUT branches have commended the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie on his evidential two years administration and promised to sustain their respective support.

The two unions through their various leaders made the commendations in separate interviews with ESUT Monitor.

 ASUU Chairman in ESUT, Professor Chinedu Aguba described Prof Okolie as a “God sent” to ESUT disclosing that his two years in office have helped to consolidate unionism in the institution.

He noted that as the former chairman of the union in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof Okolie has brought his wealth of experience to bear in ensuring a smooth and healthy relationship between the management and the ASUU through timely release of their checkoff dues, regular payment of staff salary, and promotion of deserving staff as well as inclusive administration.

“I am surprised that the Vice-Chancellor has clocked two years in office, I feel like he just started yesterday. The fact is that I regard him as God sent in ESUT because the past two years have been pragmatically evidential in ESUT. The Vice-Chancellor has left no one in doubt about his vision for ESUT.

“As a former chairman of our union in UNN where he came from, he understands the structure of ASUU and has been able to create a smooth and healthy relation between the management and the union. For the past two years, our checkoff dues are released timely, our members’ salaries are paid and those who are due for promotion have been elevated, we have not been owed a dime. These are evidential and the cardinal principles that sustain effective unionism in ESUT unlike what we used to have before. He is a visionary leader and ASUU will always be by his side to sustain the momentum” he said.

On her part, the Chairperson, NAAT, ESUT Branch, Comrade Onyia Anthonia Nkeiruka, lauded the ESUT Management under Professor Okolie in the past two years in sustaining the dreams of the founding fathers dreams as well as bringing innovations to the school.

Comrade Onyia noted that in the past two years, unlike what were obtainable prior, her members have not been owed their monthly remuneration adding that their checkoff dues has also be regularly released to enable them sustain their association.  

“The entire members of the National Association of Academic Technologist (NAAT), ESUT Branch felicitate with you, our amiable Vice-Chancellor, on your two years in office. You have made a landmark within these few years which include: payment of bulk of arrears of checkoff dues, promotion of our members and salaries owned to the unions and workers of ESUT.

“ESUT workers now come to work as at when due, and so many other innovative achievements. No wonder you are called “Talk and Do” Vice-Chancellor. Our Great leader, NAAT will always be supportive of your administration to take our university to greater heights,” she said.

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The Federal Government on Wednesday announced the exemption of Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, and other tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment platform

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) passed the resolution during its weekly meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja

The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Maman, said the heads of the institutions got relief to embark on recruitment exercise without recourse to the Head of Service of the Federation.

The minister said the president had directed that the Vice Chancellor be taken out of the platform that made recruitment difficult to ensure efficient management of those education institutions.

“Simply, the president and the council is just concerned about efficiency of management of the universities and so it has nothing to do with integrity or options of platforms.

“The president cannot understand why Vice Chancellors should be leaving their duty post and run to Abuja to get staff enlisted on IPPIS when they get recruited.

 “The basic concern is that universities are governed by laws. And those laws give them autonomy in certain respects and most respects and the IPPIS has sort of eroded that autonomy granted universities in accordance with their act,” Mamman said.

In his contribution, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, said: “The universities and other tertiary institutions have gotten a very big relief from the integrated personnel payroll and information system. You will recall that the university authorities and the others have been clamouring for the exemption of the universities and other tertiary institutions from this system.

 “What that means in simple language is that the university authorities and other tertiary institutions will now be paying their own personnel from their own end instead of relying on the IPPIS.”

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