ASUU Threatens Imminent Strike Over Unresolved Demands
By Abdullahi Jalaluddin
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that the federal government’s failure to address its demands may lead to an impending strike in public universities.
Speaking after a protest walk, ASUU Chairman, Kano University of Science and Technology, Dr. Aliyu Yusuf Ahmad, accused the government of insincerity and neglect, worsening the living and working conditions of academic staff.
The union demands include the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, funding for public university revitalization, and payment of outstanding entitlements.
“The Federal Government has refused to renegotiate the ASUU/FGN 2009 agreement fifteen years after it was signed. It would be recalled that, owing to the Union persistent call for the review of the 2009 Agreement among other demands led the Federal Government to set up the Wale Babalakin-led Joint Renegotiation Committee in 2017.”
“For irreconcilable reasons, especially due to Wale-Babalakin’s insistence on the re-introduction of the Education Bank which would lead to the introduction of exorbitant tuition fees for students, the process was stalled for over two years”
Dr Aliyu Yusuf Ahmad said Despite progress made in renegotiations, the government has refused to sign the draft agreement, leaving lecturers on the same salary regime since 2009.
“Furthermore, the Government has left the Nigerian Universities poorly funded.
Allowing its infrastructural and staff development to the little funds coming from Tetfund which was meant to be an intervention agency rather than the main source of funding. In the aftermath of the 2022 struggle, the Federal Government claimed to have budgeted the sum of one hundred and seventy billion naira (N170B) in the 2023 budget. Our understanding was that N120 billion was meant to address part of the outstanding Needs Assessment
ASUU urges the public to hold the federal government responsible if a strike occurs and calls for support from parents, students, and stakeholders in their struggle for better university funding and conditions.
