RESOLUTIONS OF THE NATIONAL DELEGATES’ CONFERENCE (NDC) OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU) HELD AT THE BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY (BSU) ON MAY 14 - 16, 2010.

 The National Delegates’ Conference (NDC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) met on Friday 14 - Sunday 16 May, 2010 at the Benue State University, Makurdi. The Conference took reports from the President, the National Financial Secretary, National Internal Auditor, National Treasurer, National Investment Officer, National Welfare Officer, External Auditors and the NDC Commissions.

 ACCREDITION:

Principal Officers of the Union, Trustees, Zonal Coordinators, Branch Chairpersons, Chairpersons of Committees, Delegates from Branches, invited Guests, the President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr Samuel K. Asiedu-Addo, observers and other members from branches were accredited for the Conference.

At the end of proceedings, the NDC took the following resolutions:

I.          PRINCIPAL OFFICERS’ REPORTS

The NDC adopted the reports presented by the President, Financial Secretary, the Internal Auditor, the Treasurer, the Investment Officer and the Welfare Officer, with some amendments.

II.        EXTERNAL AUDITOR’S REPORT

            The NDC adopted the report presented by the External Auditors.

III.       COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU), NIGERIA AND THE UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION (UTA), GHANA.

The NDC approved that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be signed between ASUU and UTA to foster greater cooperation among Nigerian and Ghanaian academics. The MOU was signed by the President of ASUU, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie and the President of UTA, Dr Samuel K. Asiedu-Addo.

 IV. WELFARE DOCUMENT

The NDC reaffirmed its approval of the Welfare Document, which was presented at the Kano 2008 NDC.

The NDC also approved the upward review of allowances proposed by the Welfare Commission and mandated the NEC to make the necessary adjustments in the proposed rates  and commence their implementation as it may deem fit.                  

V. REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION

            OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL LEGAL ADVISER

The NDC created the Office of the National Legal Adviser to complement the National Executive Committee (NEC).

            APPOINTMENT OF ASSISTANT INTERNAL AUDITOR

The NDC approved that an Assistant Internal Auditor be appointed to beef up the National       Secretariat

VI. CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR ASUU EMPLOYEES IN BRANCHES

The NDC affirmed the decision of NEC to review the Conditions of Service of the Union’s employees in branches in line with the existing Federal Civil Service structure. To this end, the NDC directed Zonal Coordinators to submit at the next meeting of NEC, details of what branches are currently paying, failing which they would not be accredited.

VII. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS COMMISSION

The NDC approved that the Union’s Research Grant to members be reviewed upwards subject to the availability of funds.

The NDC also approved that the Research and Publications Committee be enlarged to enhance productivity.

VIII. THE SAHARAWI ARAB DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (SADR)

The NDC condemned in unequivocal terms the human rights abuses being perpetrated by the Moroccan authorities in the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (        SADR) and calls for stiff sanctions by the African Union (AU) and other International Organizations on the Kingdom of Morocco to compel it to stop the abuse of human rights in the occupied territories. The NDC also called on the United Nations to complete the decolonization of Africa by carrying out the referendum to ascertain the wish of the Saharawi people on independence according to the United Nations 1960 Resolution 1541(XV).

IX. NEW CHARTERS

(a)        The NDC granted the status of bona fide branches of  ASUU to   Kaduna State University, Kaduna and the Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua University, Katsina, which had spent two years as Observers and had satisfied all other constitutional provisions.

(b).       The NDC, observing that the organization of lecturers at the Adamawa State University had spent eighteen months as observer, to avoid needless delay in processing the organization’s application for a charter, mandated NEC to grant it a Charter of the Union at the end of the two years.

(c)        The NDC granted the Rivers State University of Education, Port Harcourt, the Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai and the Bukar Abba Ibrahim University, Damaturu, an observer status, for two years.

X. COMMISSIONS’ REPORTS:

1.         ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION

NDC resolved that:

(i)                 Each branch should work out a strategy for effective running of its operations.

(ii)               To deal with prolonged proceedings at NEC,

(a)    Cocktails and courtesy calls should hold on the day of arrival.

(b)   Discussions at NEC meetings should be concise and straight to the point, without prejudice to the principle of democratic debate.

(iii)             NEC and branches should ensure proper monitoring of their respective projects

(iv)             A comprehensive set of guidelines, rules and standards should be worked out for hosting NEC.

(v)               NEC Communiqué should be published in at least one national daily and posted on the ASUU website.

(vi)             New branch Chairpersons/officials should be trained. In addition, members identified as potential branch officials ought to be verified to  possess some minimum qualities in order to qualify to be voted into positions of leadership in Branches.

(vii)           Branches should be encouraged to purchase functional branch vehicles, which should be used only for branch official functions.

2.         SCIENCE COMMISSION

NDC resolved that:

1. A coherent and functional National Policy on Science should be put in place as a matter of urgency, with emphasis on basic science education.
2. There should be  a focused approach to popularizing science at the basic levels of education. For example the Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists (JETS) Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology should be revitalized. Government and industries should also create employment opportunities for science graduates to build interest in the sciences.
3. There should be a program to train and retrain science teachers while recruitment should be restricted to qualified science teachers in their different areas.
4. Nigerian scientists should be motivated by way of providing functional infrastructure in our universities and research institutes, with well equipped laboratories.
5. There should be a good and effective management of our environment through conservation and management of our natural resources and pollution control. This will create avenues for popularizing science as well.
6. In connection with the above, a committee should be set up to look into the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and other vulnerable areas in the country, and to proffer solutions.
7. Government should establish and continually fund modern (hi-tech) reference science laboratories in the six geo-political zones in the country, in addition to adequate funding of research activities in the sciences in Universities
8. Existing science-based Institutes/Research Centres (e.g. Raw Material Research and Development Council, SHETSCO, NARICT etc) should be re-appraised with a view to streamlining and specializing, while recognizing multidisciplinarity in scientific research.
9. A National Science Fund or Foundation with a definite budget line should be put in place to promote cutting-edge research in science in the Universities and Research Institutes.
10. ASUU should play a prominent role in the review of benchmark curriculum for teaching science in the Nigerian University System in order to make for an innovation-oriented and problem-solving approach to the teaching and learning of science. This will make our graduates more competitive and development-conscious.
11. POSTGRADUATE Theses in the sciences should be geared towards solving demanding societal problems and should be funded; such significant theses should attract some reward.
12. NUC Accreditation of science programs in our Universities should be done with greater integrity and firmness.
13. Experienced and retiring science professors should be tasked to attract research grants to their Departments and to effectively mentor up-coming scientists in their institutions.
14. The Nigeria Academy of Sciences should be engaged in the bid to create identifiable community of scientists (may be by Registration).
15. Industry-University/Research Institute/Center linkages should be actively canvassed.
16. Integrity in Research should be actively promoted.
17. Discourse/intercourse between Science Learned Societies in the country should be fostered with a view to promoting a holistic approach to Best Practices in the teaching and learning of science.
18. Learned Societies in the sciences should also be involved in the regulation and quality assurance in the teaching of the various science disciplines at all levels of education.

3. FINANCE AND INVESTMENT COMMISSION

The NDC resolved that:

1. ASUU should not concentrate on Kakawa Discount House only.
2. ASUU should diversify the portfolio in Kakawa Discount House.
3. Real Estate investment at National and Branches levels should be encouraged through, for instance, Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme, etc.
4. Members should be encouraged to open up banking with Mortgage Institutions so that they can access facilities for post retirement housing scheme, etc.
5. NEC should monitor the investment activities of branches to ensure that the union’s Investment Guidelines are duly followed.
6. A Professional Management Structure should be in place to improve upon the functional performance and sustainability of the union’s Press.
7. Emphasis should be placed on printing textbooks, exercise books etc to improve on the commercial value of the Press.
8. A serious re-organization of the Newspaper should be carried out to re-package, re-position and re-restructure it to enable it meet its mandate.
9. Professional Managerial Services rather than Private Partnership should be brought into the Newspaper.
10.  The capital base of the Press should be enhanced to sustain the Newspaper publications.

k          Branch Chairpersons should be responsible enough to remit to the National Secretariat          

           exactly what they collect from their Bursary Departments .

            l.          Branches owing the Union must be made to pay all their outstanding debts.

5.         RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS COMMISSION

NDC resolved that:

The Scholar

a.         A definite time should be fixed by the R&PC for submission of materials meant for publication in the magazine, and for the publication of the magazine itself.

b.         Efforts should be made to issue the magazine more regularly and more consistently.

c.         The practice of including information and reports on Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Inaugural Lectures, news on promotions and appointments from different campuses, information on grants and fellowship opportunities, abstracts and summaries of landmark publications by members from different campuses  should be sustained.

 d.       More information on the activities of the union (for example, information on research award winners) should be included in the magazine.

e.         More time should be devoted to the editorial work done on the magazine, with a view to eliminating typographical errors and improving the quality of contributions.

f.          The union should consider the possibility of employing Youth Corp members for the purpose of coordinating the publication and circulation of the magazine.

g.         The magazine should become regular and stable.

h.         The union should explore the possibility of employing a full – time Editor-in-Chief for the publication.

The Academic Journals

1. (i) Urgent attention should be paid to getting The Science Journal published.

(ii) The Journal for the Social Sciences should be published as soon as possible.

(iii) Efforts should be made to ensure that the journals are henceforth published regularly.

          b.                   The Research and Publications Committee should appoint, as a matter of   

urgency, an independent Editorial Board for the various segments of the Journal: 

 Humanities, Science and Social Sciences. The practice whereby members of the Research and Publications Committee also perform the task of the Editorial Board is not ideal.

c.                     The union, in constituting the Research and Publications Committee, should

                                     ensure that there is a balance in the membership between the Sciences, Social

                                Sciences and the Humanities.

            d.                     As part of the efforts to give it a truly international status, the Editorial Board

                                    should strive to make sure that, henceforth, a considerable percentage of the 

                                number of articles published in any edition of the Journal is contributed by

                                foreign scholars.

e.                     The Research and Publications Committee should reflect further on the sub-title

                     of The Humanities Journal with a view to dropping the word “international”

                     from it.

f.                  The Research and Publications Committee should  further reflect on the

                       composition of the Board of Editorial Advisers, with a view to making it cover

                    as much as possible the broad spectrum of the humanistic disciplines.

  g                 That a website  should be established immediately for the journals.

              h                    The union should begin the process of establishing an endowment for the two

                                journals in accordance with the resolution of the Kano NDC.

             i                     The resolution of the Kano NDC  that the Research and Publications Committee

                                 work closely with such committees as Finance and Investments, Information

                                   Communication and    Technology, International Relations, Media and Press, and       

                               the Freedom Press, should be upheld.

Research Grants

1. The union should establish an independent financial base for this extremely laudable programme. By way of sourcing funds for this, the union should consider submitting proposals to fraternal agencies and organizations as well as individuals of solid integrity, and whose goodwill for the union cannot be doubted.
2. The award should be carried out on a more regular, more predictable basis.
3. Efforts should be made to increase the amount earmarked annually for the grant so that more members may benefit from the award. The union should consider the possibility of reviewing upward the value of the award.
4. The Research Grants Committee should work out ways of monitoring through the branches the progress of the work of each of the award winners.
5. Members of the Research Grants Committee should work closely with branch Chairpersons in seeking assessors for the proposals submitted for the award.
6. The committee should consider paying a token honorarium to each assessor.
7. Names of awardees till date should be published, not just in The Scholar, but also, if possible, in some national dailies. The practice should become standard.

6.         Labour/Students/Industrial Relations/Human Rights/Civil Societies Commission

 NEC resolved that:

1. (i)  NEC should mandate all branches to participate more actively in the activities of the State Councils of the NLC, especially for the purpose of helping to raise the consciousness among members of Trade Unions in the state and in their own branches as well.

(ii)  The National leadership of NLC should facilitate the process of cooperation between the State Councils of NLC and ASUU branches.

(iii)   ASUU also should work more closely with the Trade Union Congress (TUC), with a view to fostering greater cooperation between ASUU and TUC on the one hand and NLC and TUC on the other hand.

1. NDC should re-affirm the directive of NEC that branches should set up labour committee to monitor the activities of the state council and put them at the disposal of ASUU branches.
2. ASUU should set up a dedicated committee to deal with the issue of decay in NANS. This is without  prejudice to the existence of the Commission on Labour/Students/ Industrial Relations/Human Rights/Civil Societies, considering the enormity of the crises in NANS
3. All past recommendations on ASUU-NANS relationship should be studied by NEC with a view to implementing them.(Such recommendations are contained in Trade Union Education document  and  the Report of the Labour Committee to the Principal Officers Meeting at Abuja in 2009).

e.       The Human Rights/Civil Society Committee/ Labour Committees should continue regular consultations with labour unions and Civil Society groups.

f.        The growing collaboration and friendship with other Unions on the campuses should be strengthened. Branches should strive to enhance and sustain these relationships. NEC and ASUU at the national level should initiate discussions that should be sustained with the leadership of other Unions in the universities, in order to strengthen the collaboration at the branch level.

g.       NEC should enforce the 2008 Kano NDC resolution that requires branches to open channels of communication via e-mail, and suggestion boxes to enhance collaboration with other Unions on campus, including NANS.

h.      Human Rights Committees shall be set up in all branches where they do not exist, in accordance with the2006 Nsukka NDC and the 2008 Kano NDC resolutions.

i.        ASUU should organize a National Education Submit in accordance with the programme approved and recommended by NEC.

j.        ASUU should continue to partner with the NLC and TUC and other people’s organisations to build a true Workers/People’s Party with a people-oriented ideology and programmee. This is in furtherance of the 2008 Kano NDC resolution

k.       Training based on the Leadership Training Manual, which has been completed, should be carried out in the different zones as proposed by the Labour Education Committee. To achieve full implementation, the training must continue, preferably on annual basis. In addition, branches should organize their own education programmes and exchange experiences in terms of the best methodology, resource persons and themes. At the branch level, there should be ASUU educational activities (e.g. lectures, workshops, symposia, etc) at least, once per quarter.

l.        ASUU should strive towards the ‘unionization’of academic staff in private universities.

m.      NEC should debate, the recommendations contained in the report of the Labour/Labour Education Committee to the 16^th BSU NDC, with a view to implementing them.

7.         POLITICAL COMMISSION

The NDC resolved that:

1. ASUU branches located in each state of the federation should liaise and link up with industrial unions affiliated to the NLC and NLC State Councils to commence worker education programmes, political education and capacity building.
2. ASUU Branches should be the focal point for the education of trade unions within the NLC across the country.
3. ASUU should assist the state branches of the NLC to make them more proactive and  more alive to Trade Union responsibilities.
4. ASUU should work with the leadership of the National Headquarters of the NLC to design a document which will promote engagement between the ASUU and NLC in matters of politics and education.
5. The COPED (Committee for Popular Education) should be funded to implement ASUU’s political education programmee.
6. ASUU should be proactive in legislative matters, in order to improve the quality, focus and outcomes of legislation.
7. ASUU should wage a genuine campaign to compel the government of Nigeria to get looted funds repatriated to the country, taking advantage of international instruments including the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)
8. ASUU should ensure that government appoints honest and credible individuals to public offices and anti-graft agencies, and in particular, to the offices of INEC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau, and Code of Conduct Tribunal.
9. ASUU should wage a campaign to get all ex-Governors, who currently do not have immunity, and all ministers and other public servants who have been indicted for corruption, to face the relevant anti-graft agencies. Harsh terms for corruption should be put in place consistent with the laws of the country. The campaign should aim at strengthening the anti-graft agencies to make them pursue vigorously the recovery of looted funds at home and abroad.
10. ASUU should initiate a concerted campaign against neo-liberalism.
11. ASUU should work for a fundamental overhaul of the Nigeria Economy.
12. ASUU should play a proactive role in the next circle of negotiation of lease on oil concessioning in the following ways:

1. Take stock of the lease of the past 40 years in terms of what Nigerians have benefited from the concessioning and what it has lost. (The current 60:40 ratio is skewed in favour of oil multinational corporations. The same is the case with the Liquefied Natural Gas where Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SDPC) has the highest share holding in a country where there is more oil than gas).
2. Set an agenda for the new concessioning regime.
3. Encourage a transparent process in the new concessioning that conforms to international standards.

1. ASUU should work with order organizations for awakening of the electorate to begin to, in making electoral choices focus on party programmes, manifestoes, quality of leadership, and issues of governance.
2. ASUU should work with other popular forces to design a political blueprint for a popular alternative. The public servants, particularly academics, should be allowed to take part in politics and elections without losing their jobs or salary, as was the case in the First Republic.
3. A committee should be constituted to design a political blue print for the take off  of a Working Peoples’ Alliance (WPA), while simultaneously working to overhaul the Labour Party.
4. Political links with the NLC, LASCO should be deepened and made more formidable to stretch to the broad masses of the toiling and working people.
5.  NEC should set up a committee to do a critique of the entire praxis, constitution, manifesto and activities of the Labour Party as it is currently constituted. On the basis of the Report, NEC will decide on its position on the party question.
6. ASUU should work to promote community and local government political participation in politics. A four-layered mobilization at community, local government, state and federal should be encouraged in order to ensure political empowerment and emancipation at all levels.
7. On the electoral reforms, ASUU should continue to support the Uwais Report, and should demand that the Report be subjected to a referendum.
8. On how to achieve credible elections, ASUU should advocate that members of the NYSC and other citizens of high integrity should be employed to conduct the elections as temporary staff. The salaries and wages of political office holders should be brought into the mainstream of civil salary structure to put a stop to current arbitrariness.
9. ASUU should embrace political education and orientation campaign to enlighten the public adequately.

8. GENDER COMMISSION

NDC resolved that:

1. ASUU should intensify efforts to ensure that all objectives of CEDAW are realized, subject to suitability for and adaptability to the Nigeria context.
2. ASUU, at the Branch levels, should take a holistic look at women’s representation and participation and submit their findings and recommendations to the Union.
3. The NDC should ensure the Constitution is amended as earlier resolved by the NDC  to make it    

  gender sensitive.

d. NEC’s directive that all branches should establish functional Gender Committees whose   Coordinator shall be responsible for the coordination and representation of female academics’ interests, and which shall ensure female participation in the Branch, shall be executed. In addition, the ASUU-BAOBAB training should be for both the male and female academics as agreed with the BAOBAB, and with a fair representation of branches.

e. All branches should combat all victimization of female academics on the basis of their sex.

f. More advocacy work should be undertaken by ASUU in regions where gender discrimination and victimization is rife.

g. Female and male academics should follow due process and discharge their duties as academics in their various places of employment.

h. The Branch gender Committee should also liaise with the student’s union to ensure adequate gender representation in student’s union activities.

i. NEC should encourage the expansion of ASUU’s collaboration and partnership with gender based organizations, both local and international.

9.         AGRICULTURE COMMISSION

After observing that most of the Kano NDC resolutions have NOT been implemented, NDC resolved that:

1. ASUU should establish a commercial farm as a means of investment.
2. ASUU should use radio and television talk shows, seminars and workshops to promote extension services on modern agricultural production techniques to farmers.
3. ASUU should encourage Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine to emphasize research and production of food crops and livestock that are peculiar to agro-ecological zones where the universities are located. The Faculties should also  be encouraged to link research and development.
4. ASUU should educate farmers through ADPs (Agricultural Development Projects) on the advantages of forming cooperative societies. These societies shall assist farmers in accessing credit facilities, agricultural inputs including fertilizer, seeds, machinery as well as marketing and storage technologies.
5. ASUU should call for research funds for environmental and biodiversities, conservation studies, agricultural products development strategies and marketing.
6. ASUU should encourage members to be involved in urban agriculture.
7. ASUU should advocate  support of investment in free cropping for economic and environmental protection purposes. Deforestation without regeneration should be discouraged.
8. ASUU should collaborate with national and international agencies and NGOs involved in agriculture programmes in Nigeria, where such collaboration does not violate ASUU’s principles and norms.
9. ASUU should call on and put public pressure on government to adequately fund the agricultural research, production and extension services, to address issues of food security and industrial development processions and value added.
10. ASUU should make initial funds available for the establishment of the Union’s farm.
11. ASUU should also provide funds for radio and television (TV) talk shows as well as for seminars and workshop on Agriculture.

     10. MEDIA/PRESS COMMISSION

a.         The Freedom Global Concept Ltd. should be a profit yielding venture. The newspaper should pursue the dissemination of ASUU philosophy while maintaining a competitive edge on the news stand, by publishing general interest news fortnightly.

b.         A Media Management Consultant should be appointed to restructure and reposition the Freedom Concept Limited in collaboration with experts within the Union, and with special attention to the Freedom Newspaper.

c.         The recommendation of 2008 Kano NDC that an auditing firm should be appointed to audit the Freedom Global Concept Ltd. should be implemented.

d.         The Freedom Global Concept Ltd. should be brought under the supervision of its Board.

e.         (i) Apart from resolution “d” and “e” of the Kano NDC, all others have not been implemented. Consequently, all other resolution of the Kano NDC should be implemented. Recommendation “a” should be modified so  that  the various activities outlined should  be conducted separately; the media documentary, students literary competition, competition in the  sciences, drama performance competition with adequate financial backing. Item “g” should be modified to read “funds should be raised from ASUU investment to enhance the performance sustainability and profitability of the news paper.”

f.          The Principal Officers must be proactive, by having regular interaction with Media establishments for the sustenance of cordial relationship. This should include visit to media houses and regular invitation of media executives to ASUU functions.

g.         Some experts in the relevant fields should be in the Media/Press Committee, in order to implement the recommendations of the NDC Commission adequately.

11.       LEGAL/CONSTITUTION COMMISSION

NDC resolved that the submission of the Commission should be realigned with the provisions of the constitutional amendment procedures.

12.       ETHICS/ORGANISATIONAL DISCIPLINE/CRISIS INTERVENTION COMMISSION

ETHICS: All branches must ensure the establishment of the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.

ORGANIZATIONAL DISCIPLINE:

a). Individual level:

1. Time consciousness
2. Regular attendance at Congress meetings and other activities of the union
3. Respect for and compliance with the Union’s resolutions
4. Respect for proper channels of information dissemination
5. Commitment and prompt execution of Union assignments
6. Respect for and compliance with the Union’s structures
7. Engagement in anti-union activities

b). Group level

1.  No misuse and abuse of Union properties (i.e. vehicles, offices, etc)

2. No abuse of office by the Union Officials.

3. Respect for the Union’s Resolutions

4. Strict compliance with the Union’s financial rules and regulations

5. Commitment to duty by Branch Officials.

6. Discourage the creation of sub groups based on primordial sentiments

7. Establishment of a functional welfare scheme and strict compliance with its operations by               branches.

8. Proper time management at meetings

9. Regular enlightenment of members by experienced union leaders, on the basic principles of the Union

CRISES INTERVENTION:

a)      Branch Level;

 To qualify to hold office, a member must in addition to the resolutions of the 2008 NDC, and the provisions of the Union Constitution, be an active member of the union for at least two years. 

b)     National Level:

To be qualified to hold office at the National level, one must not be a student. He or she must have been a branch Chairperson, Zonal Coordinator, Convener of NEC Committees or National Officer.

13. REPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS/CIVIL SOCIETY COMMISSION

The NDC resolved that:

1. Each branch should be mandated to immediately set up a Human Rights/Civil Society Committee.
2. ASUU must popularize the relevant laws on the right to unionise and find means of incorporating our colleagues in the private universities in our Human Rights programmes (workshops etc).
3. NEC should ensure prompt circulation of the Kampala Declaration and other relevant declarations on human rights to members.
4. The Human Rights/Civil Society Committee of ASUU should be reconstituted bearing in mind interest in and commitment of nominees to Human Rights/Civil Society struggles.
5. ASUU should prepare civil society training manuals to enhance the training of its members on Human Rights/Civil Society issues.
6. In collaboration with the umbrella bodies of civil society groups, ASUU should, through the branch human rights committees, work with campus chapters of such groups to conscientize members of the university community on the principles and protection of human rights.
7. ASUU should as a matter of principle, make categorical statements on issues of human rights abuses as they come up in any part of the world.

14.       WELFARE COMMISSION

The NDC resolved that:

1. The Welfare Document as presented at Kano 2008 NDC be reaffirmed
2. Henceforth, 2% of basic salary is the check-off dues to be paid by members.
3. The proposals on allowances for union officials should be referred to NEC to study and come up with figures that are sustainable.

15. INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION

The NDC observed that the implementation of the Kano NDC resolutions on ICT were minimally implemented and called for its full implementation. It further resolved that:

1. Efforts to issue e-mail addresses to branch officials/members should be intensified.
2. Nominal rolls should be used to initially group members into departments/professions linked through e-mail.
3. Desk Officers should be appointed in each branch after which they should be brought together at the National level and adequately trained for this purpose. However, such appointed officers should have prerequisite knowledge of ICT.
4. The Principal Officers should provide a list of Civil Society Organizations that the committee may do business with through ICT. The Principal Officers should also provide a list of Agencies to be approached to realize the setting up of ICT Centers, which must be carried out by the principal officers.
5. Efforts should be sustained to get e-subscription of journals. Link with the National Virtual Library should be explored.
6. Digital e-library should be created and members should be encouraged to use it, while the union should also consider putting it on the Union’s website for access by members.
7. The e-library should posses proper structure and architecture of an e-library.
8. There should be a provision of a section that members could upload materials. However, such materials should, at first, be received by an Administrator, who, in turn, sends such material to vetters appropriate to the subject matter to which the contributed material could be classified for vetting before uploading to site.
9. Provision of spaces where members could publish their profiles and their materials. To this end, a baseline of 100 MB should be allocated to each member of the Union. To achieve this, the entire space/bandwidth  acquired  for this section alone must not be less than 100 MB multiplied by the number of members plus a provision of +15% of this space for expansion/growth.
10. Should materials already published be uploaded into the site, issues of copyright must have been settled, apriori. The recommended policy is that financial accruals should be shared among the author, the Union and the Publisher. For materials that need some restrictions, levels of access should be created so as to ensure authors get financial benefits for their intellectual work. Furthermore, appeals should be made to intellectual property rights owners to consider a form of donation of such rights among Union members.
11. The National should buy a larger space and accommodate the pages of the branches, with possible url: www.asuuonline.come/branch. (b) Nodes to be created at the national ASUU url to form a link to all Branches’ Universities websites.
12. Training of National and Branch Officials should be done twice every year. ASUU’s ICT Commission should work with the Nigerian Communications Commission and Consumer Protection Council to ensure that ASUU members and the larger society get value for their money.
13. ICT members should be provided with all the resources required for effective performance, since the list as itemized may not be all encompassing.
14. Effort should be made to make the ASUU Website active and effective 24/7 all the year round, even if it means changing the ISP. (GILAT has a high level of reliability).
15. The site should be regularly updated, at least twice in a month.
16. The two sites of ASUU i.e. www.asuu.org and www.asuuonline.org should be harmonized.
17. On the E-LIBRARY AND E-JOURNAL, issues that bother on security of the materials on the site and the technology deployed should be left to a technical committee to handle, as such issues are not for public disclosure.
18. The involvement of ASUU with NITDA should be continued.
19. The issue of who benefits and who bears the cost shall be worked out. However, the initial concept was to create a Nigeria library to stockpile publications by Nigerian academics.

16. EDUCATION/INTERNATIONAL LINKAGES COMMISSION

     NDC resolved as follows:

1. That relevant authority should put relevant structures in place to redress the recent mass failure in WAEC and NECO. Qualified personnel should be put in relevant positions to ensure that the dignity of public examinations is restored.
2. Appointments to educational positions should be guided by merit, cognate experience, integrity and performance.
3. Adequate funding should be made available at the primary and secondary school levels.
4. Educational personnel at the lower levels should be properly trained and made to undergo constant training and retraining.
5. The management of the education in the country should be stabilized so that constant policy somersault by successive ministers of education could be stopped.
6. The Teachers Industrial Work Experience (TIWES) should be taken more seriously so as to assist teachers.
7. Universities should make conscious efforts to develop their manpower by way of providing enabling environments to link up with their international counterparts through training, fellowships exchange programmes etc. The opportunity of going outside the country by young academics should be resuscitated to fast track academic development.
8. That University should remove all impediments in the way of staff accessing international linkages/opportunities. In the same way, the Union should advise academics that have such opportunities not to abuse them, by abandoning their universities or violating the terms of release. Measures should be put in place to sanction violators so as to ensure sanity in the system.
9. Universities should organize academic/research fairs periodically to exhibit researches and reward outstanding works.
10. Universities without foreign linkage departments or units should establish some with membership drawn from academic staff with cognate experience to identify and coordinate foreign linkage activities for their universities. International linkage includes staff training for higher degrees, student exchange and training, conference/workshop attendance, fellowships, short visits, research grants etc.
11. ASUU should take more concrete steps in getting in contact with other national sister bodies by way of initiating MOU. The Union should endeavour to attend their programmes and they should be invited to attend ours, as has been demonstrated by the attendance of the President of the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to the 2010 BSU NDC.

17.       THE STATE/PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION

NDC resolved as follows:

1. NEC should continue to pressure State Governments to increase their budgetary allocation on education to at least 26%, ASUU should also ensure that the funds budgeted are disbursed and properly utilized. NEC should also ensure that the Budget Monitoring and Implementation Committee is constituted and functions in line with the 2009 Agreement.
2. In line with the above, NEC should mandate branches to establish linkages with the relevant committees of their various State Houses of Assembly; relevant Committees, especially Committees on education and finance, with a view to ensuring that the 26% minimum allocation to education is achieved.
3. Branches should be encouraged to prevail on the management of their respective Universities to establish professional consultancy units that should be used to execute professional consultancy services, where such services, are not in existence as a source of revenue to the University. Notwithstanding, University management should ensure that 25% of the State consultancy services are given to the Unit.
4. State governments that are yet to commence the commitment of local government to fund their universities should be encouraged to do so. This will go a long way to facilitate their development as other state universities; for instance, Nasarawa State University (NSU), Keffi and Adamawa State University (ADSU) Mubi.
5. The State Government should introduce a “development fund” to be derived from all contracts awarded in the State as is the case in ADSU.

Political Interference

NDC resolved that:

1        The 2008 Kano NDC Resolutions on Political Interference should be implemented.

1. Branches should ensure that academic appointments are done in accordance with the laid down University traditions. E.g. HODs, Deans, and Directors of Institutes or Centres.
2. Branches should ensure the inclusion of the autonomy clause and such other clauses (reminiscent of good governance in a University system) in the edicts establishing their institutions. This could be done by sponsoring a bill to the House of Assembly for amendment of the edicts. Branches that are yet to do this must be mandated to do so immediately.
3. Branches should insist that due process be followed in the appointment/removal of Vice Chancellors and academic staff in their institutions.
4. Branches should insist that Visitors to the State Universities should constitute Governing Councils where they do not exist or inaugurate new ones where the tenure of the incumbent has expired. Where  a branch observes irregularities in the appointment of any of the officers listed above, NEC should support the branch to correct the irregularities as it always does, in accordance with university guidelines and FGN-ASUU Agreement.

Implementation of Federal Government Policies in Respect of Universities

1. ASUU should continue to insist that circulars issued by the Federal Government or the NUC are directed simultaneously to both federal and state universities and their proprietors.
2.  Branches should monitor the report of the NUC on accreditation of programmes to ensure that standards are not compromised, and to ensure maintenance of minimum standards.

Private Universities

1. Branches located close to private universities should embark on informal interaction with them with a view to sensitizing them on the need to unionize by joining ASUU.
2. National Officers should redouble their efforts in liaising with the NUC to ensure that minimum standards are not compromised in the private universities.

Implementation of Agreement

1. NEC should work harder to ensure that Agreements reached with the Union are implemented immediately by the State Universities.
2.  NEC should devise effective ways of compelling state universities to implement Agreements reached with the Union.

RESOLUTIONS OF THE EMERGENCY NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) MEETING OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU) HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA ON SATURDAY 15^TH OCTOBER, 2011.

The Emergency National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) met on Saturday 15^th October, 2011 at the University of Abuja. The meeting discussed reports from the National Secretariat and Reviewed the One Week Warning Strike.

 I.       ACCREDITATION

1. Principal Officers, Branch Chairpersons, Zonal Coordinators and NEC Secretariat were accredited for the meeting.
2. Dr (Mrs) Folasade Ifamose (Vice-Chairperson, Uni-Abuja), Mr Alex Bruce (Secretary, Gombe State University), and Dauda B. Adamu (Vice-Chairperson, ATBU), Dr Stanley Ogoun (Secretary, NDU), Dr R.O Ettu (Secretary, TASUED), Dr Sola Foyese (Vice-Chairperson, AAU Akungba) and Prof A.S Akpotor (Welfare, Comm Chairperson, DELSU) were accredited to represent their Chairpersons.

II.         BRIEFING FROM THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT

1. NEC resolved to write a letter to the Hon Minister of Education to offer clarification on the interpretation of some ambiguous sections of the memorandum of Understanding.
2. To embark on serious mobilization of members especially by the leadership of Branches and Zones.
3. Reiterates its position on the standard procedure of communication between members, branch leadership, zonal leadership and Principal Officers and specifically request Chairpersons to always consult with their zonal coordinators whenever in doubt about issues relating to the principle of the Union.
4. Calls on government to avert the brewing crisis in the University system by judiciously and sincerely implementing the 2009 Agreement entered into with the Union.
5. To reconvene on 30^th November 2011 to access the level of implementation of the said Agreement and take appropriate action.

III         BRANCH ELECTIONS (Adjusted Dates)

            NEC approved branch elections as follows:

1. Uni-Abuja – 24^th November, 2011                  – Full Election
2. FUT, MINNA – 8^th December, 2011                – Full Election
3. NSU – 15^th December, 2011                         – Full Election
4. UNIJOS, 25^th November, 2011                      – By-Election (Treasurer)
5. AAU, Ekpoma, November 25, 2011                - Full Election

IV.       DATE AND VENUE OF NEXT NEC

The next NEC is fixed for 30^th November - 1^st December, 2011 at the University of Port-Harcourt. Arrival is 29^th November, 2011 at the Senior Staff Club, Delta Park.