ASUU gives update on agreement with FG, hints at possible strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed frustration over the federal government’s failure to implement any of the agreements reached during previous negotiations.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that despite the union fulfilling its part of the renegotiation process, the government had yet to take any meaningful action.

Reports indicate that ASUU and the federal government had earlier reached a tentative agreement following repeated warnings from the union about a possible strike if their demands remained unaddressed. However, providing an update, Osodeke revealed that apart from setting up a negotiation team, the government had made no tangible efforts to resolve the union’s concerns.

“It has been about two months now, and the government’s team has not come back to us, let alone sign a new deal. The implication of this development is that the political class does not care about any development in public universities,” Osodeke told Daily Sun.

He lamented that despite over a year in office, the current administration had failed to permanently resolve any of ASUU’s longstanding demands.

“No single issue has been permanently resolved by this government since assumption, which is more than a year now, out of all issues concerning our agreements.

“So, in education, we can boldly say as a union that nothing has changed.

“We are still telling the same old story, whereas the rich keep sending their children abroad to study and returning after their studies to take up the so-called lucrative positions, especially in public establishments, leaving the children of the poor to continue to suffer,” he added.

ASUU has not ruled out the possibility of industrial action if the government continues to ignore its commitments.