- The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) warns of an indefinite strike due to the Federal Government's failure to honor a 2009 agreement regarding salaries and funding
- ASUU's National Executive Council issued a 21-day ultimatum, which expired without action, followed by an additional 14-day ultimatum starting September 23
- Key issues include unpaid salaries, poor funding for public universities, and unresolved negotiations, with ASUU urging immediate government intervention
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stark warning of an impending indefinite strike due to the Federal Government's failure to honor a 2009 agreement.
This announcement was made by Prof. Timothy Namo, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, during a press conference held on Friday in Jos.
Namo emphasized that the union's National Executive Council (NEC), which convened from August 17 to August 18, has grown increasingly frustrated with the government's inaction.
Following their discussions, ASUU issued a 21-day ultimatum, which has since expired without any significant response from the government.
The union subsequently extended this period with an additional 14-day ultimatum starting September 23.
"At the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, we again issued another 14-day ultimatum that commenced from Sept. 23," Namo stated.
"As we speak, the government has not honored any of the agreements or addressed our concerns. We want Nigerians to blame the federal government if ASUU decides to down tools and shut down public universities."
Among the key issues raised by Namo are the unresolved negotiations regarding the 2009 agreement, unpaid salaries for over three months, and outstanding payments for academic staff on adjunct contracts. Additionally, the union is concerned about poor funding for the revitalization of public universities and the non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) as outlined in the 2023 budget.
Namo also highlighted the proliferation of universities and the government's failure to implement recommendations from visitation panels as major factors contributing to the ongoing crisis in the education sector.
As tensions escalate, the prospect of a nationwide strike looms, potentially disrupting academic activities across public universities in Nigeria. The union's leadership is urging the federal government to take immediate action to address these pressing concerns before the situation deteriorates further.
3,500 teaching jobs up for grabs as FG announces recruitment for Unity Colleges nationwide
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal Government announced the plan to recruit 3,500 new teaching staff to improve educational quality.
The government further revealed it trained over 1,000 workers and constructed 53 vocational centres to meet the skills demands of youth.
