ASUU threatens fresh strike over non-implementation of agreements with Nigerian government

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has stated that a strike is not imminent, provided the Federal Government implements the agreements made within the next two weeks.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

Previously, ASUU had threatened to strike due to the government’s failure to fulfill agreed-upon commitments. The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had convened a meeting on June 26 to discuss these unresolved issues and prevent the planned strike.

Osodeke noted that none of the agreements with the Federal Government had been honored. He mentioned that they agreed to reconvene after two weeks to assess the government’s progress.

“We agreed to meet in two weeks to review the government’s actions and decide our next steps if the agreements remain unimplemented”, Osodeke said.

The unmet demands include the non-implementation of the 2009 re-negotiated agreements, which have been pending for over six years. Osodeke also highlighted that academic allowances for ASUU members have accumulated over the same period without resolution.

Regarding revitalization funds, the NEEDs Assessment Report called for N200 billion annually for five years to upgrade universities. Since 2013, only one payment has been made.

Osodeke criticized the government’s approval of new universities without providing the necessary funding and noted that the government has not removed university salaries from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), despite a Federal Executive Council directive to do so.

ASUU members continue to be paid through IPPIS, contrary to the FEC’s decision.

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