FG Races Against Time to Prevent Another ASUU Strike

The Federal Ministry of Education has confirmed that the Federal Government is making concerted efforts to prevent another impending strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). This announcement comes in response to ASUU's 21-day ultimatum issued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Ibadan last weekend. During the meeting, ASUU reiterated its demands, which have remained unaddressed by the government, and warned that failure to meet these demands within the stipulated time would result in another round of industrial action. The ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, emphasized that lecturers would have no choice but to go on strike if the government did not act promptly. Speaking on Wednesday at a press briefing at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Osodeke outlined the union's grievances. These include the need for an emergency revitalization fund for public universities, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions. Additionally, ASUU is demanding an end to illegal recruitments, addressing the proliferation of public universities, stopping the abuse of university laws and regulations, and removing universities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to restore their autonomy.

When contacted for a response to the strike threat, the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, Folashade Biriowo, assured that the ministry is actively working on resolving the issues raised by ASUU. She noted that the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had previously met with ASUU on June 26 to discuss the lingering issues and explore ways to avert the planned strike. However, ASUU expressed disappointment that the agreements reached during that meeting had not been implemented. Prof. Osodeke highlighted the union's concerns about the worsening conditions in Nigerian universities and the government's failure to address these issues, which have persisted for over a decade. He pointed out that many seasoned scholars are leaving Nigeria for countries with better opportunities, exacerbating the challenges faced by the nation's educational institutions.

The ASUU President also criticized the government's approach, describing it as bureaucratic and legalistic, which has hindered meaningful progress. He expressed regret that issues related to the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement and the need for impactful funding have yet to be resolved. While ASUU remains committed to dialogue, the union warned that it would reconvene at the end of the 21-day ultimatum to decide on the next steps if the government fails to take decisive action.