ASUU Warns Buhari Against Reopening Universities, Lists Consequences

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has warned the Federal Government against opening the Nation’s Universities without fully equipping them against COVID-19.

Speaking during a Press Conference on various national issues including the ASUU unsettled finance’s, the zonal Chairman of the Union, Comrade Abdulkadir Muhmud, said that they are not averse to the opening of Universities but said measures against Coronavirus must be taken.

“If the government goes ahead to open the Nation Universities without fully taking into consideration necessary measures against COVID-19 anything that happens to students they should be held responsible”, ASUU warned.

He said, ” let me make it very clear that ASUU is not averse to the opening of public Universities, but before doing that government must provide all the necessary conditions that will make it safe and conducive for our members and the students to avoid a spike in the case of the pandemic “.

The Zonal ASUU Chairman warned that the experience of other countries with even better facilities that have opened and later closed due to the spike in the Pandemic should guide the government’s thoughts or next line of actions.

ASUU reminded that Public Universities which accounts for about 90% of the Student Population are not ready and that the government should not succumb to pressures from private Universities who are out of businesses and are eager to open shops.

The Zonal ASUU Chairman speaking on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System IPPIS, warned that their position of rejecting it has not changed, adding that the Union will leave no stone unturned to ensure that any Kobo illegally taken from them is returned.

Similarly, the Union insists on the need for the government to recommence and concludes the Renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, based on ILOs collective bargaining principles.

They called on President Buhari to constitute and activate visitation panels to all federal Universities and direct that the outcomes be fully implemented especially following the illegal recruitment recently carried out by most of the Federal Universities.