ASUU warns of looming indefinite strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning of an imminent indefinite strike, citing the Federal Government’s failure to fulfill key aspects of the 2009 agreement.

This was disclosed by Prof. Timothy Namo, ASUU’s Bauchi Zonal Coordinator, during a press conference in Jos on Friday.

Prof. Namo revealed that following a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on August 17 and 18, ASUU had issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government. However, despite the deadline, the government has not addressed any of the union’s concerns.

“At the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, we issued another 14-day notice, which began on September 23. As of now, the government has not honored any of the agreements. We want Nigerians to understand that the Federal Government should be held responsible if ASUU is forced to down tools and shut down public universities,” he said.

Namo outlined several unresolved issues, including the failure to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, non-payment of three and a half months’ salaries to academic staff, unpaid wages for adjunct staff, and outstanding third-party deductions.

Other critical issues highlighted were inadequate funding for the revitalization of public universities, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) as captured in the 2023 budget, the unchecked proliferation of universities, and the non-implementation of visitation panel reports.

With tensions rising, ASUU has warned that the situation could soon lead to a total shutdown of public universities if the government continues to delay addressing these pressing matters.