The Academic Staff Union of Universities says the Federal Government is frustrating efforts at registering the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO) in spite of the union’s N1 billion commitment.
Dr Theophilus Lagi, the union’s Coordinator for Abuja Zone, announced this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.
Lagi said that the Federal Government had reneged on NUPEMCO and other nine items contained in the 2009 agreement with ASUU.
“We thought it was wise to come with our own pension company and we have done our own beat, but for whatever reason that is not very clear to us, the government has not done anything serious.
“Last two weeks, we received a letter from the Minster of Education, informing us that process was ongoing.
“He said that the government was in the process of getting the certificate but that is not enough because the issue has been lingering.
“The pension company is a part of the 2009 agreements.
“Our members have not keyed into contributory pension because we are expecting our own company.’’
He listed some other contending issues in the 2009 agreement as upward review of the budgetary allocation to education, amendment of JAMB and NUC Acts and payment of earned academic allowance since 2009.
Lagi said that arbitrary removal of vice-chancellors and the deliberate cut in personnel cost allocations to federal universities, which occasioned salary shortfalls, breached the agreement.
According to him, only 30 per cent of the N1.5 trillion agreed with Federal Government had been released following the 2013 six-month strike.
He called on stakeholders to prevail on the government to abide by the 2009 agreement in order to avert disruption of academic activities across all public universities.
Also speaking, Mr Ben Ugheoke, the ASUU Chairman, University of Abuja chapter, said that the union did not join other PFAs because of the irregularities in the operation of the scheme.
“The system lacks integrity; that is why we asked our members to wait for our own company.
“Initially, the Federal Government asked ASUU to commit N600 million to the registration of the company.
“From that amount it was increased to N720 million but late last year, it was later raised to N1 billion.
“ASUU had paid the N1 billion; it has been with the government since 2013 and yet government is frustrating the registration the company,’’ he said.
Ugheoke said it was regrettable that as at the end of August, the 2016 budget that was signed in May had yet to be implemented.
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