ASUU Rejects Federal Govt’s Loan Plan, Insists on Release of Withheld Salaries

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s move to include the union in the newly launched Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), describing it as an attempt to make the union a “guarantor of loans it knows nothing about.”

This position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, and signed by its President, Christopher Piwuna, on Tuesday.

ASUU insisted that rather than introduce loan schemes, the Federal Government should pay the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries of its members, which it described as more beneficial than loans.

“NEC resolved to reject the ploy to conscript ASUU as ‘Guarantor’ of loans the Union knows nothing about and demands that ASUU be delisted from the process. NEC also calls on the government to fast-track the conclusion and implementation of the lingering renegotiation of the FGN-ASUU agreement by the Yayale Ahmed-led committee,” the communiqué read.

The union further accused the government of dragging its feet on unresolved issues and resolved to stage nationwide protests across its branches. “Consequently, NEC resolved to organise protests across all the Branches simultaneously on a fixed date. Press conferences would also be held in all Branches,” it stated.

Recall that last week, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, launched the TISSF, a zero-interest loan scheme designed for academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions to access up to N10 million. Eligibility requirements include at least five years left before retirement and membership of recognised staff unions such as ASUU, SSANU, and NASU.

ASUU listed unresolved disputes with the government to include the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, conditions of service, funding, university autonomy, academic freedom, and a review of laws governing the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The union also announced plans to launch the Tertiary Institutions Transparency and Accountability Solution (TITAS), which it said would replace the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), stressing that the product was already at an advanced stage with several universities showing interest in adopting it.