Academic activities in the nation’s universities may again be paralysed as members of the Academic Staff Union Of Nigeria Universities (ASUU) warns of fresh rounds of strike over alleged refusal of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to pay salaries and remit check-off dues of about 1000 staff for 13 months.

Chairman, University of Jos branch of ASUU, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, accused the AGF of allegedly causing friction between the union and Federal Government, which may trigger another round of strike.

ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, said despite its promise to the union to pay all outstanding salaries before December 31, 2020, government is still owing members in many of the branches between two to 16 months salaries.

Osodeke alleged that government is withholding members’ salaries to force them to enroll for Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

This we believe is also aimed at deliberately frustrating the implementation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), the payment platform developed by ASUU.

He said the union has got to a stage where it may be forced to take drastic measures to save the lives and families of its members.

“We call on all well- meaning Nigerians to advise those responsible that this path will force us to take very drastic measures. Invariably, it is the children of all Nigerians in these institutions that would suffer and not just ASUU members.

MEANWHILE, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), has advised the Federal Government to withdraw its circular directing that workers of Staff Schools should not be captured in the 2022 budget.

SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, warned that the union would embark on industrial action if government fails to heed the union’s request.