The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a new 21-day deadline to both federal and state governments to fulfill its demands, warning of a potential nationwide strike if action is not taken. The union is pressing the government to address the unresolved issues that disrupted university operations and led to a strike in 2022. ASUU’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, conveyed this message during a press conference on Wednesday, August 21, at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.
Osodeke explained that the press conference aimed to update the public on the outcomes of the unionโs National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held from August 17 to 18 at the University of Ibadan. He stated that the union would meet again after the 21-day period to decide on the next course of action.
The NEC expressed concern over the perceived lack of urgency from the federal and state governments in addressing the union’s concerns. Osodeke criticized the slow progress made by the Minister of Education in resolving the key issues.
The union’s demands include the review and signing of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, improved funding for public universities, including the Emergency Revitalisation Fund, and the payment of outstanding earned academic allowances. Additionally, ASUU is calling for the release of withheld salaries, payment of promotion arrears, and the resolution of third-party deductions for its members.
Further issues raised by the union include the halt of illegal recruitments, the unchecked proliferation of public universities, and the abuse of university laws and regulations. ASUU is also advocating for the removal of universities from the Treasury Single Account and the new IPPIS, which they argue is necessary to restore university autonomy.
Osodeke also mentioned that the NEC had received troubling reports about the government’s failure to fulfill promises made to resolve the issues that led to the union’s strike from February to October 2022.
The union has designated Tuesday, September 10, as Victimized Lecturersโ Day to show support for its members who have been unjustly treated across the nation’s universities. On this day, ASUU will also express its dissatisfaction with ongoing labor-management conflicts at Lagos State University, Kogi State University, Federal University of Technology Owerri, among others.
