ASUU Threatens Indefinite Strike Over Unresolved Issues

ASUU Sets Stage for Indefinite Strike

...The Federal Government should be held responsible...

ASUU threatens indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, poor funding & unimplemented agreements. Will Nigerian education sector face another disruption?

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has sounded the alarm, threatening an indefinite strike due to the Federal Government's failure to honor agreements reached since 2009. This development comes after the union's National Executive Council (NEC) issued a 21-day ultimatum, followed by an additional 14-day ultimatum, without any resolution.

Prof. Timothy Namo, Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, emphasized that if the strike proceeds, Nigerians should hold the federal government accountable. With tensions escalating, the education sector holds its breath, awaiting the government's response to ASUU's demands.

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is threatening to go on an indefinite strike due to the Federal Government's failure to honor the 2009 agreement reached between both parties after the government allegedly failed to address the union's concerns, 

According to Timothy Namo, Bauchi zonal coordinator of the union, the government has not honored any of the agreements or addressed their concerns. Namo stated that after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, ASUU issued another 14-day ultimatum starting from September 23, but the government has yet to take action.

The lingering issues include:

• Non-conclusion of the re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement
• Non-release of salaries of academic staff, including those on adjunct appointment
• Unpaid third-party deductions
• Poor funding for public universities
• Non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances
• Proliferation of universities
• Non-implementation of visitation panels' reports

Namo emphasized that if ASUU decides to go on strike, the Federal Government should be held responsible. The union is urging Nigerians to blame the government for the potential strike, which could shut down public universities.

“As we speak, the government has not honoured any of the agreements or addressed our concerns,” he explained.

“At the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, we again issued another 14- day ultimatum that commenced from September 23.

“So, we want Nigerians to blame the Federal Government if ASUU decides to down tools and shut down public universities.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) dispute is heating up again, with several unresolved issues still on the table. Key among them is the non-conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government. Additionally, academic staff are yet to receive their three-and-a-half-month salaries, while those on adjunct appointments remain unpaid.

Other pressing concerns include outstanding third-party deductions, inadequate funding for public universities' revitalization, and the non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) as stipulated in the 2023 budget. The proliferation of universities and the non-implementation of visitation panels' reports to universities are also major sticking points.

ASUU's concerns can be grouped into three main categories:

Unresolved Financial Issues: 

Unpaid three-and-a-half-month salaries

Unpaid salaries of academic staff on adjunct appointments

Outstanding third-party deductions

Non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA)

University Funding and Governance: 

Poor funding for public universities' revitalization 

Proliferation of universities

Accountability and Oversight: 

Non-implementation of visitation panels' reports to universities