By Jimmy Jackson
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 21-day notice to the Federal Government, signaling its intention to commence a nationwide strike if unresolved issues are not addressed.
This development follows a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) held at the University of Ibadan.
An ASUU official explained, “It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21 days’ notice, after which we shall embark on strike.
“Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law.”
The notice comes in response to the government’s failure to implement agreements previously reached with the union.
On June 26, 2024, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had convened a meeting with ASUU to address the ongoing issues affecting universities and to prevent a strike.
However, according to ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the agreements made have not been implemented.
Osodeke noted, “The agreements reached with the Federal Government had not been implemented.
“We agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made.
“We will also see what we will do next if the government fails to implement the agreements reached.”
ASUU’s key demands include the implementation of the 2009 re-negotiated agreements, which have been pending for over six years, and the payment of accumulated academic allowances.
Additionally, ASUU is calling for the release of the revitalisation fund, which was agreed to be N200 billion annually for five years based on the Needs Assessment Report.
Only one payment has been made since 2013.
Osodeke also criticized the proliferation of universities without adequate funding, stating, “The government has yet to stop the proliferation of universities, adding that many new universities are being approved without funds to run them.”
The union’s planned strike aims to press the Federal Government to address these long-standing issues affecting the quality of higher education in Nigeria.
