KWASU lecturers stage protest

By Toba Ajayi

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, on Wednesday staged a solidarity protest demanding the implementation of the 2009 agreement reached between the Federal Government and the union.

The lecturers staged the peaceful protest at Agric Estate- Sango Centre of the university in Ilorin.

The union also urged Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara to pay arrears of their nine years Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).

The Chairman of KWASU ASUU, Prof. Shehu Abdulganiyu–Salau, who addressed newsmen, said the union had previously met with the governor and got his assurance of payment as soon as the economy of the state improved.

“We have written several letters to the governor reminding him of his promise. We plead with him to pay us. We expect him to pay us the allowances as the allocations from Abuja to states have improved tremendously.

“Despite our efforts, we are yet to receive a positive response from the government,” Salau added.

He further said that third party deductions have not been paid in most Nigerian universities.

According to him, in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, a larger percentage of EAA since 2013 is still outstanding.

“In KWASU, EAA has not been paid since 2016. The EAA of UNIOSUN members are arbitrarily amputated by 50 percent between 2015 and 2019.

“To save the universities from pending avoidable crises, our union is calling on well-meaning Nigerians, opinion leaders, traditional and religious leaders to intervene,” Abdulganiyu–Salau said.

The ASUU chairman urged the media, labour movements, students’ groups and civil society organisations to prevail on the federal and state governments to immediately set in motion the process of signing and implementing the Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiated agreement among other demands.

Abdulganiyu-Salau said that the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement stipulated that the federal government would fund the EAA.