The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) has asked the federal government to pay professors a salary of N800,000 monthly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CVCNU set up a sustainable peace team to resolve the lingering impasse between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU is currently in the seventh month of its 16th strike in 23 years.
The union had accused FG of reneging on the agreements it reached to suspend the previous strike in 2020.
It argued that the latest strike follows FG’s attitude towards the renegotiation of salaries and allowances as well as the adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) payroll software.
It also rejected FG’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), citing “inconsistencies”.
Michael Faborode, the ex-secretary general of CVCNU and the co-coordinator of the team, issued a working paper for its intervention on Tuesday.
He said that the desire of the team is to prevent the current deadlock in the strike negotiations from taking hold.
Faborode said that the team has itemised some preliminary considerations that could shape the way forward.
He said among these is the effort to prevail on FG about raising its offer of salary increase from 23% to maybe 50%.
He said this is to ensure a professor receives up to N800,000 monthly as against the negotiated N1.2 million.
Faborode called on the National Assembly to play its role in providing a sustainable solution to raising funds for the effective running of the universities.
“How do we engage with the Nimi Briggs committee? I am personally in touch with the chairman, and he feels the outstanding issues are not insurmountable,” he said.
“These include the federal government raising its offer of salary increase from 23% to maybe 50% that will ensure a Professor receives up to N800,000 monthly as opposed to the negotiated N1.2 million.
“Also, the review of the decision on salaries during the strike to a mid-position, not 0% nor 100% as ASUU wants. How can we further this admonition to both sides?
“Fundamentally, the following facts should be noted: the subsisting condition of Nigerian higher education is unacceptable and inconsistent with the economic development roles envisaged for them.
“Things have been allowed to deteriorate for too long. This must be halted by all as we embark on an integrated revitalisation agenda in the education sector, in the interest of our economic development.”
(NAN)
