Salary Delay: ASUU Directs Members To Begin Strike
The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Prof. Chris Piwuna says henceforth members of the union will stop work anytime there is a delay in the payment of their salaries.
He said that the National Executive Committee of the union had ratified the decision and directed all branches of the union nationwide to withdraw their services over the delay in the payment of June 2025 salaries.
Already, ASUU branches such as those of the University of Jos and the University of Abuja have commenced strike in compliance with the directive.
The ASUU president said the National Executive Committee (NEC) had agreed that any month in which salaries are delayed beyond three days, members should withdraw their services until the salaries are paid.
Piwuna lamented the lackadaisical attitude of government officials toward the issue of lecturers’ salaries.
According to him, since the migration of university workers from the Integrated Personnel Payment and Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), the ASUU members have experienced significant hardship in getting their salaries.
He said they had reached out to relevant government officials, including the Minister of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation, without getting any positive result.
“What they are doing is just enforcing a NEC resolution. We have agreed at NEC that our members are going through a lot since our migration out of the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System.
“Certainly, our salaries are delayed for a week and sometimes 10 days before our members receive the paltry amount we get to help us carry out our duties well. Therefore, we agreed that if there is no pay, there will be no work,” Piwuna said.
“It is the only way to address the challenge which is being deliberately caused by some government officials, especially at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. We are tired of talking about this.
“We have spoken to the relevant authorities—the minister is aware, the Office of the Accountant General is aware. All those concerned are aware that this thing has been happening.
“We’ve had meetings with them to express our dissatisfaction with the way our salaries are being paid, and they have not taken any action. We want to work, but we cannot because they have not allowed us to work,” he stated.
Piwuna maintained that the government has no genuine reason for the delay in salary payments because the platform used for the payments has no issues.
According to him, when the money finally gets to the universities, nobody has complained of being underpaid or not receiving their salary.
“So, the platform through which the payment is effected has not been the problem. It’s just a deliberate effort by the Office of the Accountant General to delay the release of the funds.
“The platform is working well, but those who make it work are not willing to make it work. We think it’s a deliberate act; that is the point we are making,” the ASUU President added.
