The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended its ongoing industrial action by another eight weeks, accusing the Nigerian government of insensitivity and peddling lies.
ASUU made the decision at a prolonged meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) which started on Sunday and ended early Monday morning.
The NEC meeting was held at the union’s national secretariat at the University of Abuja.
A member of the NEC who does not want to be quoted to avoid sanctions by the union, said a statement is currently being drafted by the leadership of ASUU and that as soon as it is ready, it will be distributed.
The source said: “Yes, we have extended the strike by eight weeks pending when the Nigerian government would find the university system worthy of the desired attention. A statement is currently being drafted to that effect. We will make it available soon.
Earlier on Sunday, ASUU had issued a statement on the controversy surrounding the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) that its technical team developed to replace the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) which is currently being used to pay its members’ salaries.
It was angered by the claim of the director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, who on Wednesday at the State House said UTAS failed three integrity tests of user acceptance, vulnerability and stress, that were conducted by his agency.
“We did all these three tests with them and the system couldn’t pass. We wrote the reports and submitted it back to the honourable minister, which he forwarded to all relevant institutions, including ASUU. As we speak now, ASUU is working, trying to fix all the issues we highlighted with the system and we will review it again. But that is just one half of the story,” Mr Inuwa said.
But ASUU insisted that UTAS scored both 85 and 77 per cent, which it noted are “high class grades in any known evaluation system”.
ASUU also threatened that it would demand that the initial NITDA Technical Report on UTAS, where it scored 85 per cent in User Acceptance Test (UAT) be made public if it (NITDA) continues to insist that UTAS failed the integrity tests.
ASUU said that NITDA carried out the first integrity test on August 10, 2021, at the NUC headquarters, noting that relevant government agencies and all the end-users in the university system were present.
The union added that all accepted UTAS as a suitable solution for salary payment in Nigerian universities.
ASUU also said; “However, in a curious twist of submission, the NITDA Technical Team, after conducting a comprehensive functionality test came out to say that out of 687 test cases, 529 cases were satisfactory, 156 cases queried, and 2 cases were cautioned.
“Taking this report on its face value, the percentage score is 77%. The question that arises from this is, can 77% in any known fair evaluation system be categorised as failure?”
Speaking further, he said NITDA “in their desperation to justify their false assertions, threw up issues such as Data centre and hosting of UTAS software which are clearly outside the rubrics of ASUU’s responsibilities in the deployment of UTAS.”
The two most important demands for ASUU had included the renegotiation of the ASUU-FG 2009 agreement and the deployment of UTAS for payment of its members salaries.
However, both have remained unresolved as the government only recently inaugurated another committee to be led by a former vice-chancellor and emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, Nimi Briggs.
Mr Briggs-led committee was given three months to complete the renegotiation of the agreement with all university-based unions including ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologist (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions.
But ASUU has said it has nothing more to discuss on the agreement but the implementation. It said the three months given the committee to address the issues are not meant for the union.
ASUU had embarked on a four-week warning strike to press home its demands, with the prominent ones being the renegotiation of the ASUU/FG 2009 agreement and the sustainability of the university autonomy by deploying UTAS to replace the government’s “imposed” (IPPIS).
Other demands include the release of the reports of visitation panels to federal universities, distortions in salary payment challenges, funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowance, poor funding of state universities and promotion arrears.
The Minister of Education Adamu Adamu had days after the commencement of the strike constituted the white paper panel of the visitation panels.
But four weeks later, the government is yet to inaugurate the team to commence work.
There is obviously a bundle to identify about this. I consider you made certain good points in features also.
Your place is valueble for me. Thanks!…
It is really a great and helpful piece of information. I¦m happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
I think this internet site holds some very fantastic info for everyone. “The penalty of success is to be bored by the attentions of people who formerly snubbed you.” by Mary Wilson Little.
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Many thanks
I like the helpful information you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and test once more here regularly. I’m fairly certain I’ll be informed lots of new stuff proper right here! Best of luck for the next!
Some times its a pain in the ass to read what blog owners wrote but this website is rattling user pleasant! .
But a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw great style and design. “Better by far you should forget and smile than that you should remember and be sad.” by Christina Georgina Rossetti.
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all of us you really know what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Please also visit my website =). We could have a link exchange contract between us!
I do like the way you have presented this specific matter and it does indeed supply us a lot of fodder for thought. However, coming from everything that I have observed, I just simply trust when other opinions stack on that people remain on point and not get started upon a soap box involving some other news of the day. Anyway, thank you for this superb piece and although I can not really go along with the idea in totality, I respect the point of view.
Hey, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, awesome blog!
I just couldn’t depart your website prior to suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the standard information a person provide for your visitors? Is going to be back often in order to check up on new posts
Excellent weblog right here! Additionally your site rather a lot up fast! What host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your associate hyperlink for your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Excellent post however I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Cheers!
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don’t know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
Some really great info , Glad I noticed this.
Well I truly liked studying it. This article provided by you is very constructive for correct planning.
Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was looking for! “I have a hundred times wished that one could resign life as an officer resigns a commission.” by Robert Burns.
I am not rattling superb with English but I find this really leisurely to interpret.
You actually make it appear really easy along with your presentation however I in finding this topic to be really something that I feel I might never understand. It seems too complex and extremely wide for me. I am looking ahead for your subsequent put up, I’ll try to get the grasp of it!
I believe this web site contains some rattling fantastic information for everyone. “Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.” by Napoleon.
Very efficiently written story. It will be useful to anyone who employess it, as well as myself. Keep doing what you are doing – looking forward to more posts.
It is truly a great and useful piece of information. I¦m glad that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It positively useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & help other customers like its aided me. Good job.
wonderful post, very informative. I wonder why the opposite experts of this sector don’t realize this. You must continue your writing. I’m confident, you’ve a huge readers’ base already!
I have recently started a blog, the info you offer on this site has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work.
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
Perfect piece of work you have done, this web site is really cool with good information.
This web site is really a walk-through for all of the info you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you’ll definitely discover it.
What i do not realize is actually how you are no longer really a lot more neatly-favored than you might be now. You’re very intelligent. You recognize therefore significantly in relation to this subject, made me for my part imagine it from a lot of numerous angles. Its like women and men don’t seem to be fascinated except it is something to do with Girl gaga! Your individual stuffs nice. At all times care for it up!
I am not sure where you’re getting your info, but good topic. I must spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent info I was on the lookout for this info for my mission.
Hi there very cool web site!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds also?KI am satisfied to seek out numerous useful info here within the submit, we want work out extra techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .