The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a strong warning about an impending indefinite strike due to the Federal Government’s ongoing failure to honor the agreement made with the union in 2009. This looming strike comes after years of unresolved disputes between ASUU and the government, which have repeatedly disrupted the academic calendar in public universities across Nigeria. The union’s leadership has expressed growing frustration over the government's inaction regarding their demands.
Prof. Timothy Namo, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of the union, made this announcement during a news conference on Friday in Jos. He reiterated that the union has exhausted all available avenues for dialogue and peaceful resolution. The failure of the government to address ASUU's concerns, even after multiple warnings, has pushed the union to consider more drastic measures, including a nationwide strike that could bring public universities to a standstill once again.
Namo explained that after the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which was held on August 17 and 18, ASUU issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government. This ultimatum was intended to give the government one last opportunity to fulfill its obligations under the 2009 agreement. However, as of now, the government has failed to honor any of the agreed-upon terms or address the union's concerns.
”As we speak, the government has not honored any of the agreements or addressed our concerns,” Namo said. He further revealed that after the expiration of the initial 21-day ultimatum, the union issued an additional 14-day ultimatum, which commenced on Sept. 23. Despite these repeated warnings, there has been no meaningful action from the government to resolve the ongoing issues.
”At the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, we again issued another 14-day ultimatum that commenced from Sept. 23,” Namo explained. “So, we want Nigerians to blame the federal government if ASUU decides to down tools and shut down public universities.” The union insists that it is the government's responsibility to prevent another strike by addressing the issues at hand.
Namo went on to highlight the key issues that have remained unresolved for years. These include the non-conclusion of the re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement, which is critical to improving the working conditions of academic staff. The union also cited the non-release of the three-and-a-half-month salaries owed to academic staff, as well as unpaid salaries of all academic staff on adjunct appointments. Additionally, there are outstanding third-party deductions that have yet to be remitted.
Among the other pressing issues, Namo mentioned the poor funding for the revitalization of public universities, which has significantly hampered the ability of these institutions to provide quality education. He also noted the non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), which were promised and captured in the 2023 budget but have yet to be disbursed. Another major concern is the proliferation of universities without adequate funding or planning, as well as the non-implementation of the reports from visitation panels to universities, which were intended to address key governance and management challenges in the sector.
Namo emphasized that these issues have persisted for far too long, with little to no effort on the part of the government to resolve them. He urged the public to understand that ASUU’s decision to embark on an indefinite strike, should it come to that, is not taken lightly but is a necessary step to protect the future of public university education in Nigeria.