ASUU To Embark On Indefinite Strike

By Akinwale Kasali

Nigerian students may be forced to go on a long holiday if the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, carries out its threat to embark on an indefinite strike. This follows the failure of the Federal Government to honour the 2009 agreement reached with ASUU.

ASUU’s position  was made at a Press Conference held in Jos, Plateau State by Professor Timothy Namo, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of the Union.

Namo said the Union, after its National Executive Council (NEC) held between Aug. 17 and Aug. 18, issued a 21-day ultimatum.

”As we speak, the Government has not honoured any of the agreements or addressed our concerns.

”At the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, we again issued another 14-day ultimatum that commenced from Sept. 23.

”So, we want Nigerians to blame the Federal Government if ASUU decides to down tools and shut down public Universities,” he said.

Namo highlighted the lingering issues – non-conclusion of the re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement, non-release of the three-and-half month salaries of academic staff, unpaid salaries of all academic staff on adjunct appointment, and outstanding third-party deductions.

Other lingering issues, he said, are poor funding for the revitalisation of public Universities, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) as captured in the 2023 budget, proliferation of Universities, and non-implementation of the reports of Visitation Panels to Universities, among others.