The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given both federal and state governments a new 21-day ultimatum to address its demands or face a nationwide strike.
ASUU is calling on the governments to resolve all “outstanding issues” that have impeded the progress of Nigeria’s universities, which led to a strike in 2022. The ASUU National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, announced the union’s stance at a press conference held at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia on Wednesday, August 21.
Osodeke stated that the press conference was meant to update the public on the outcomes of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which took place from August 17 to 18 at the University of Ibadan. He explained that the union would reconvene after the 21-day notice period to decide on further actions.
He condemned the federal and state governments for their apparent reluctance to address the issues raised by ASUU and criticized the “slow pace of the intervention” by the Minister of Education in resolving these matters.
The issues include reviewing and signing the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, providing impactful funding and the Emergency Revitalisation Fund for public universities, and addressing the payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions for its members.
Additional concerns involve halting illegal recruitments, curbing the proliferation of public universities, and addressing abuses of university laws and regulations. The union is also calling for the removal of universities from the Treasury Single Account and opposing the new IPPIS system to ensure university autonomy.
Osodeke reported that the NEC had received “alarming reports” about the government’s failure to meet its promises, which led to the nationwide strike from February to October 2022.
The ASUU National President also announced that September 10 will be observed as Victimised Lecturers’ Day.
This day will be used to show solidarity with members who have been unjustly persecuted and to express dissatisfaction with ongoing labor-management issues at institutions such as Lagos State University, Kogi State University, and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, among others.
