The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s newly introduced Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF), a N10 million interest-free loan scheme for university, polytechnic and college staff, describing it as a diversion from unresolved welfare demands.
Speaking at a press briefing at Bayero University, Kano, ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Professor AbdulKadir Muhammad, said the union was particularly concerned about a condition requiring members to obtain guarantor letters from ASUU leaders before accessing the loan.
“This is clearly a ploy to make ASUU a guarantor to applicants. The logical guarantor for any loan should be the employer, not the union,” Muhammad said. He insisted that lecturers are demanding payment of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, consequential salary adjustments, and improved working conditions rather than loans.
Muhammad urged the Federal Government to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement and implement outstanding provisions, including retirement entitlements for professors and senior lecturers. He warned that failure to address the union’s core demands could lead to further industrial action.
ASUU stated that lecturers continue to face worsening economic hardship amid rising living costs and inadequate funding of the education sector.
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