Strike Looms As ASUU Gives Nigerian Govt 14-Day Ultimatum

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has given the Nigerian government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve all lingering issues. It said that failure to address the issues would compel the union to embark on another strike.

The union is demanding the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021, and the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 industrial action.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, who made this known in a statement on Wednesday, decried what he described as lack of commitment on the part of government and delay tactics in the implementation of the agreements.

Prof. Osodeke raised concerns that the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to the resolution of the outstanding issues is aggravating challenges in the nation’s public university system.

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He said: “In view of the foregoing, ASUU resolves to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, September 23, 2024, during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union.

“The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from the government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.”

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Aside from payment of withheld salaries, settlement of outstanding deductions, earned academic allowances, the union is also demanding allocation of funds for the revitalisation of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget

Other demands of the ASUU bothers on university governance, such as implementation of reports from government visitation panels, reversal of the illegal dissolution of Governing Councils, and adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).