The National President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke disclosed this on Wednesday at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, while briefing Journalists about the outcome of the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of ASUU held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Osodeke, who was flanked by ASUU members during the press briefing, said several lecturers in different Nigerian Universities have either had their appointments terminated, salaries withheld or their promotions denied by the management of such institutions for trying to protect the welfare of academic staff.

These Universities according to the Osodeke, are Kogi State University, Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Lagos State University, LASU, Ambrose Alli University, Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam among others.

ASUU while expressing displeasure that its members are still being victimized in Federal University of Technology, FUTO, Owerri for rejecting the conferment of Professorship title on former Minister of Communication and Digital Technology, Isah Pantami, demanded an end to such rough treatment by FUTO management.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities restated its call on the Federal government to review and sign the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and end to third-party deductions of ASUU members’ funds.

Other issues demanded by the lecturers include the stoppage of illegal retirements, the proliferation of Public Universities, and the abuse of Universities’ laws.

The training aims to make sure that the lecturers thoroughly adopt the strategies for the successful implementation of the new curriculum, The PUNCH reports.

Recall that the government on Monday announced the inclusion of four new disciplines to be run alongside the existing 13 disciplines in the Nigerian University System.

The recently added fields include media and communications studies, allied health sciences, computing, and architecture.

The introduction of the new disciplines was based on the recommendation of a committee of the National Universities Commission.

The NUC in 2021 inaugurated a committee of experts drawn from various disciplines in Nigerian universities to create the new Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards for Universities.

According to the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Abubakar Rasheed, the Federal Ministry of Education, through the commission, embarked on a radical re-engineering of curricula in Nigerian universities to meet global standards and international best practices aimed at preparing Nigerian graduates for relevance in the fourth-revolution world economy with the skills needed for the future.

According to Rasheed, the CCMAS, which was unveiled to the public on Monday, provides 70 per cent of what should be taught along with the expected outcome, while the university will provide 30 per cent based on their contextual peculiarities and characteristics.

In the programme for the implementation of the new curriculum, it was noted that phased implementation will commence in January 2023.

“Capacity building workshops to train university staff in the development and validation of 30% of the courses allowed each institution to reflect its uniqueness of mission and contextual peculiarities (January-March 2023).

“Capacity building workshops to train staff of universities in techniques of effective implementation of the CCMAS is scheduled for April–June 2023,” it stated

This signifies a total of six months for staff training.

Lecturers and senior members of ASUU, who disclosed this under strict confidence noted that the government only paid half salaries, The PUNCH reports.

Recall that the Union had called off its eight-month-old strike on October 14, 2022 after an order by the court.

Following this, ASUU encouraged Lecturers to resume back to work same day the strike was called off.

A senior member of the National Executive Council, said, “We were only paid for the days after the strike. I received a half salary. Other members are angry right now, they are blaming the NEC for calling off the strike.”

Another member, who confirmed the development, said, “Yes, it is true, I received half salary. It seems the government is set to kill unionism in the country but we are ready for them.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and others on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Minister said that this was aimed at resolving the lingering crisis in the sector, NAN reports.

According to him, the beneficiaries include the members of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and their counterparts in the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

The Minister disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and others on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Ngige, the universities will get N23.5 billion, the polytechnics N6 billion and the Colleges of Education N4 billion, bringing the total sum to N33.5 billion.

The minister, while giving an update on the ongoing strike, said committees were set up during the last tripartite meeting of the government and university based unions.

He said they were given a fortnight to turn in their report, adding they were still working and the reports of the committees were being expected at the end of the week.

“Those committees are working. The one on NITDA is testing the three platforms, the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

“Also the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) of ASUU and the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS) of the non-teaching staff.

“They started the testing last Thursday. The National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) has issued their amendment circulars.

“The unions also have copies to take care of responsibility and hazard allowances wherever it has not been properly captured.’’

Ngige assured that there might likely be wage adjustments as the government intensified efforts to streamline wages through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

“For example, we have done it for the police . It wasn’t envisaged that we should do it in pockets.

“You can also see university teachers saying that their own should be done immediately, since we have done for the police. So, something is being done. It was part of the 2009 negotiation they had with the government then.

“So, the committee of Prof. Briggs is on it, discussing with the university unions and their employer, the Federal Ministry of Education. They will bring up something for the government to see.

“There are other people. The doctors are complaining about brain-drain, this and that. Their hazard allowance has to be touched and it was touched by close to 300 per cent.

“From N5, 000 paid across board for each person, the least person in the health sector is getting N15, 000, while the big ones are getting N45, 000. So, that is the quantum leap.’’he added.

The minister therefore, appealed to ASUU and other university-based unions once more to suspend their strike so that academic activities could resume once again in public universities across the country.

ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi  disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja, after calling off the nine months strike.

InsideOjodu had earlier reported that the Academic Staff Union of University, on Wednesday, suspended its nine month old strike.

Representatives of both ASUU and Federal Government had met to strengthen out agreements reached.

However, Ogunyemi said: “We usually said we did not close the universities, government remains the owner of the universities, be it state or federal.

“As far as we are concerned, we are ready to resume classes. But government should make the environment conducive for us to work within the context of the emerging trend of COVID-19.

“So, we can’t tell government not to open but we have the right to insist that the COVID-19 protocols should be observed and the requirements for observing the protocols should be met.”

CONUA is a breakaway faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

CONUA made this known in a press statement on Wednesday after its National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja.

The statement, which was signed by CONUA’s National Coordinator, Niyi Sunmonu, was titled ‘Stop intimidation of CONUA members’.

The lecturers urged FG to reopen universities as soon as possible.

The statement added, “The meeting called on the government to reopen universities as soon as possible as CONUA members are ready to resume work.

“It however added that everything necessary in terms of COVID-19 protocols must be put in place before reopening the universities in order to prevent students and staff from contracting the disease.

“CONUA further stated that the education sector cannot continue to stagnate, as it appears that COVID-19 would continue to be a threat and we must, in the circumstance, learn to strive to lead our normal life.

“Union thus urged the government to make available everything that can help our universities to resume work as is being done elsewhere in the world.”

The University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU made the remark while condemning the alleged directive by the Federal Government that her officials would move to campuses to begin enrollment of university workers on the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System, IPPIS.

The Chairman of ASUU in UI, Professor Deji Omole said the union cannot be harassed or intimidated by Buhari’s government which has a penchant for breaking the law.

Daily Trust reported that Omole wondered why a government under democracy was afraid of negotiation and dialogue but prefers to use force.

Omole said: “The government pronouncements to forcefully enrol university workers is an act of violence against the university system. It is worrisome for a government under democratic dispensation to resort to force rather than dialogue. If not why is the government afraid of negotiations. We are not perturbed by the directive. A government claiming to be fighting corruption should not break the law.

“The university Autonomy Act is very clear on university administrators. There is no greater corruption than those breaking the law of the land. Breaking of existing laws with impunity is the greatest corruption anywhere in the world. We refuse to be harassed or intimidated. We are not strangers in this country. We are veritable stakeholders. We cannot be harassed. We have told them what to do.”

“Let the government come back to the negotiation’s table and let us discuss the grey areas. Forceful enlistment will not solve the problem. We are not disturbed but we are worried, the government is getting dictatorial. A supposedly democratic government is getting dictatorial.”

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who made the remark at the formal presentation of Sexual Harassment Policy Document by the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) on the unveiling of the document following the recent British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) sex-for-grades investigation report on some African universities.

Adamu, represented by Mrs Ijeoma Duru, an Assistant Director, Tertiary Education Department in the Ministry, said students to study well to avoid undue exposure to sexual predators.

“The Federal Ministry of Education is embarrassed with the allegations of sex-for-grades in Nigeria’s higher institutions.

“Girls should read their books and be able to defend their certificates and as such, make them less vulnerable to sexual predators.

“They (female students) should stop going to lecturers unnecessarily and also should not harass their lecturers,” NAN reported.

The minister added that UNIPORT was the first university in the country to unveil a policy document against sexual harassment on campus.

According to him, the policy will go a long way in addressing the danger of sexual harassment in institutions of learning.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Ndowa Lale, also stated that the university frowned at sexual misconduct and was taking actionable steps to tackle the menace.

He said the document defined the rules of engagement between lecturers, administrators and students, including visitors to the university.

“The document unambiguously defines what constitutes sexual harassment and the sanctions to be taken against those who wittingly and unwittingly infringe on its provisions in the line of duty.

“Henceforth, lecturers and administrators who do not remember to sow zippers in front of their trousers should be ready to bear the consequences of their amorous liaison with female students.

“Also, students who harass lecturers to award them undeserved grades should equally be ready to face the music if and when they are caught in the act of self-advertisement to their lecturers.

“Similarly, any randy Juliet (female student) who blackmails vulnerable male students or colleagues, and any visitor who believes that UNIPORT is hunting ground for cheap sex would be prosecuted,” he warned.

Lale added that any person accused of sexual misconduct would be presumed guilty until such allegation was proved otherwise, under the established rules of fair hearing.