#schoolsreopening: Our Members Will Not Return To Classrooms Until All Our Demands Are Met

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that its members will not return to the classrooms except the federal government meets all of its demands.

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, National President of ASUU, made this disclosure, during a press conference held at the Gwagwalada campus of the University of Abuja.

Recall that Nigerian universities have been shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the ASUU strike.

The academic union has now laid fresh demands before the government before academic activities can resume in Nigerian Universities.

Prof Ogunyemi disclosed that ASUU has unveiled and presented the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) introduced by the Government.

He added that the software has been demonstrated to the Minister of Education and senior management staff of the Ministry of Education, including the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdulrasheed Abubakar, on Monday.

According to him, “It is our sincere hope that the government would not renege on its promise because the benefits of UTAS to the university system (both public and private) cannot be found in any other software in Nigeria today. Now that the union is close to meeting the government’s demand on an alternative to IPPIS, it is our sincere hope that the substantive issues in the ongoing strike action would be given the desired attention.”

The ASUU National President also noted that the body wants the five months’ salaries of its members at the University of Maiduguri and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and other institutions that are still withheld by the Accountant-General of the Federation on account of non-registration on IPPIS to be paid to them.

Nigerian students, on Twitter, are anticipating the reopening of schools. Below are reactions:

@NwaKammaP: “As school go resume who knows how lecturers go take rush us with assignment and extortion God na for ya hand we dey #schoolsreopening”

@AYO_FAD: “Landlords waiting for students owing rent before lockdown to come tell stories. #schoolsreopening”

@iamdahmmie: “#schoolsreopening and I can’t even remember the course I’m studying anymore abi I should goan and learn mechanic”

@Kingcefo: “Not everyone want to scam their parents when school opens, some of us want to defend our projects and leave nothing more.#schoolsreopening”