ASUU Rejects FG Loan Scheme, Plans Nationwide Protests Over Unmet Demands

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to remove its name from the newly launched Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), describing its inclusion as an attempt to force the union to act as a “guarantor for loans it knows nothing about.”

In a communiqué issued after its National Executive Council meeting at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, and signed by ASUU President Christopher Piwuna on Tuesday, the union said government should focus on releasing the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries of its members rather than floating loan schemes.

“NEC resolved to reject the ploy to conscript ASUU as ‘guarantor’ of loans the union knows nothing about and demands that ASUU be delisted from the process. NEC also resolved to press for the release of the withheld three-and-a-half-month salaries of ASUU members instead of loans that will add little or no value to their lives,” the communiqué stated.

ASUU also accused government of foot-dragging on pending issues and announced plans to hold simultaneous nationwide protests and press conferences across its branches.

“NEC discussed the state of the struggle and the government’s slow pace in addressing the issues in contention. Consequently, NEC resolved to organise protests across all the branches simultaneously on a fixed date,” it added.

The union restated its demands, including renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, improved funding and conditions of service, university autonomy, and reforms in laws governing the National Universities Commission and JAMB.

ASUU further disclosed plans to unveil the Tertiary Institutions Transparency and Accountability Solution (TITAS) to replace its University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), saying the new platform is already at an advanced stage of development with universities showing interest.

The Federal Government had last week launched the TISSF — a zero per cent interest loan scheme for tertiary institution staff to access up to N10 million. Eligibility requirements include at least five years to retirement and membership of unions such as ASUU, SSANU and NASU.