Education
ASUU Threatens Industrial Action Over Non-Payment Of Members’ Salaries
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has threatened to embark on an industrial action if the 13 months’ salaries of over 1,000 of its members across the country are not paid.
Chairman, University of Jos chapter of the union, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, who stated this in a statement on Saturday, in Jos, added that the Federal Government had also withheld the check-off dues of the affected members.
He accused Ahmed Idris, the Accountant General of Federation (AGF) for systematically denying the lecturers their remuneration, even after government and the union had reached an agreement on non-victimisation of its members following their last strike.
The chairman alleged that the affected members were being threatened to either enrol into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform, or have their salaries withheld.
He explained that despite the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari, that members of the union be paid their full remuneration, the AGF had denied the affected union members their pay, in complete violation of the terms of the agreement signed between the union and government.
Maigoro said that the office of the AGF had continued to feed the public and some sections of government with false reasons over the matter, such as incorrect BVN numbers, incorrectly spelt names and their sequential arrangement, among others.
He, however, added that such excuses were not tenable, because the bursary departments of their various institutions had submitted the names severally to the authorities, but the problem had continued to persist.
“ASUU wants to bring to the attention of the Nigerian public the deliberate, systematic and unpatriotic actions of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, on the future of education in Nigeria.
“ Idris, from all intent and purposes, is bent on withholding the salaries of over 1,000 members of ASUU spread across the country, with more than 100 of such lecturers being members of our branch at the University of Jos.
“This is simply because they participated in the last strike and refused to enrol in the much discredited IPPIS, despite the non-victimisation clause signed in the Memorandum of Action (MoA) that led to the suspension of the strike in December 2020.
“Despite the directive given by Mr President to pay the salaries of all lecturers, the AGF has refused to pay their salaries, for periods ranging from four to thirteen months, respectively.
“More worrisome is the fact that while the AGF is refusing to pay the salaries, his staff are busy calling the affected lecturers and insisting they have to register with IPPIS before they are paid; some are even asked to forfeit a part of their salaries in order to be paid. So, it is very clear that this is a deliberate act on the part of the AGF and his staff.
“Many of our members at the University of Jos have not been paid salaries from February 2020 to date. How they are expected to go to the classroom and teach beats my imagination.
Maigoro also said that the inability of government to pay other allowances, such as sabbatical, visiting, part time and contract staff was also destroying the university system in the country.
“Apart from the refusal to pay the salaries of our members, the lack of payment of allowances of sabbatical, visiting, part-time, contract staff is further killing the federal universities in Nigeria, and this is all because of IPPIS.
“We hope that whatever decision the union takes, will not be misconstrued by the Nigerian public, especially seeing the seeming silence of the public and the government over the complete violation of our 2020 MoA,” he said
Maigoro called on President Buhari to wade into the matter, in order to save the affected members, as well as the future of education in Nigeria.
The 11th Global President of the Rivers state University Alumni Association (RSUAA), Dr. Marry- Ann Perekebina has praised the Obarijima Waite’s led Postgraduate Students Association(PGA), describing his tenure as ” visionary, transparent and worthy of emulation.
Dr. Perekebina , who spoke with journalists at the sideline of the commissioning of projects embarked by Obarijima Waite’s administration in Port Harcourt, eulogises him for leading a purposeful administration – characterised with team work, love and result.
She maintained, that Obarijima Waite’s have led a purposeful administration that touches on cole values expected of any leader,adding that he has embarked on several projects that will have direct bearing in the lives of PGA students who will make use of the facilities.
“I think it’s worthy of emulation and recognition and he deserves all the accolades. He is a transformational leader who believes in carrying everyone along.” she said.
Also speaking at the sideline, a Postgraduate student of Law and Diplomacy, Edward Olaka, equally lauded the President of PGA, Obarijima Waite, for his visionary and outstanding leadership style, and describing him as “a Square peg in a Square hole”
According to him, the performance of the incumbent President and his team will throw a huge challenge to his successor’s, stressing that their administration will be used as a yardstick to measure whoever that would be coming after them, describing his performance as a commitment and testimony to hard-work built on the fear God.
” This is the handiwork of God, because it is said that when the righteous rules, the people rejoice.”
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is set to establish a Driving Training Centre at the University of Port Harcourt, to be domiciled at the Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies, NEMA House.
A team from the FRSC National Headquarters visited the University on Friday, September 12, 2025, to inspect proposed facilities in line with the Driving School Standardization Programme (DSSP) mandatory requirements.
Speaking at the end of the inspection, Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, represented by the Head of Driving School, Mr. Sunday Attah, expressed satisfaction with the standard of facilities available at the institution. He commended the University for its readiness to host the pilot scheme, noting that the Centre will be replicated in other parts of the country in due course.
Earlier, during a courtesy visit to the University Management, the Corps Marshal explained that UniPort was selected to host the pilot project because of its strategic importance to the nation.
Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Owunari Abraham Georgewill, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Chukwudi Onyeaso, welcomed the initiative and assured that the University remains open to partnerships that will promote academic excellence and national development.
A scholar and the 119 Inaugural lecturer at the Rivers state University, Prof.Chukwu Sancho Nwobuisi has called on political leaders across the world and Nigeria in particular to be transparent, accountable and lead with the fear of God, bearing in mind that when we depart the earth, we shall take home nothing, except the spirit who shall return back to the maker to give account of how we lived our lives.
Speaking to Journalists shortly after delivering his inaugural lecture on Wednesday in port Harcourt with the topic: ” War and The Dynamics of Ehianomics Economy The Nigerian Experience Who Are The Losers”, called on political leaders and those at the position of trust to think outside the box if they truly want the Nigeria to be great again.
He explained that the topic of the lecture basically is about social ills and how to correct the false narrative affects the system, while maintaining that the system has worsen to the point that the future of our younger generation now in dire danger, due to unemployment ,poor infrastructure,poor healthcare and everyone looking for a means to see ends meet.
The Frontline scholar,regretted that agriculture that used to be the economy main stay of the country is now downgraded due to over dependent on oil revenue, hence the unfortunate social and political crisis found daily in our communities.
” The study looks at the effect, influence and what affects the economy of the nation and how our mindset can change from over dependent on oil”
Prof. Nwobuisi, who didn’t mince words about corruption, maintained that corruption remains a serious challenge that the government needs to mitigate by the institutions saddled with the responsibility to pull the nation out of the menace.
” The way forward is that the nation’s anti-graft agencies must be strengthen to look around us especially on the invasion by the so called Yahoo boys.” Prof. Chukwu said.
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