The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), describing the loan scheme as a “poison chalice” that will further impoverish Nigerian lecturers.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the University of Jos, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, faulted the scheme, warning members to shun what he called a debt trap disguised as welfare.
He insisted that rather than offering loans, the government should focus on signing the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement and paying withheld salaries.
According to him, “NEC considered this policy of government and decisively rejected the proposition requesting ASUU to write a letter for its members to access the loan. Our members do not lack where to find loans; indeed, they are already deep in debt from such loans.
“What we need now is for government to sign our renegotiated agreement, which will improve our purchasing power and decrease our reliance on debts from cooperative societies.”
The union leader said it was shameful that the government still owed university lecturers three and a half months’ salaries, yet was pushing them to borrow to meet basic needs.
“It is needless to add that this government is still owing our members three and a half months’ salaries for work done. Government should use the money set aside for the loans to defray our withheld salaries.
“Members are advised to stay away from the loan and focus on our legitimate entitlements because it is a bait. This loan will incapacitate university-based cooperative societies, and perpetually enslave our members,” Piwuna said.
The ASUU President questioned the logic behind forcing lecturers into loans when their entitlements were being denied.
He said, “How can the government ask us to take loan to pay for our health, pay for school fees of our children? After deducting union dues, NHIS, pension contribution, and cooperative deductions, nothing would be left for family upkeep. This is not welfare; it is enslavement.”
Piwuna stressed that the union would not allow the scheme to distract it from its core demands, particularly sustainable funding of universities, revitalization of infrastructure, and respect for collective bargaining agreements.
While reiterating ASUU’s readiness to engage the government on genuine reforms, he warned that attempts to impose exploitative policies would only heighten discontent in the university system.
