ASUU Threatens Fresh Strike, Says FG Betrayed 2009 Agreement
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on another nationwide strike, accusing the Federal Government of betraying trust and failing to honour agreements aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s public universities.
OTN News further reports that the ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, who disclosed this while speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the University of Jos, said that lecturers have endured over two years of unfulfilled promises and government delay tactics.
He listed unresolved issues to include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, outstanding salary arrears, withheld promotions, and the welfare of retired academics.
According to him, "the general public should also note that ASUU has written several letters to the FGN drawing its attention to the need to resolve this crisis amicably. Lamentably, the FGN has always turned a deaf ear to all our pleas.
“As always, it is the FGN that has consistently pushed our union to embark on a strike action, and it is clear that ASUU may have no other option than to embark on an action to press the FGN to listen to our demands and do the needful
“The government made promises on these issues. Regrettably, we are here today to inform the Nigerian public, through you, that these undisputed issues could lead to a crisis in our educational sector have met, as with other consequences, nothing but the same response,” he said.
He added that the government’s proposed tertiary institutions staff support fund loan scheme was unacceptable, describing it as a trap.
He said, “our members do not need loans. What we need is the implementation of agreements that will improve our purchasing power. Government is still owing us three months’ salaries, yet they are asking us to borrow money."
ASUU further condemned the proliferation of universities without sustainable funding, arguing that the move has lowered standards and diminished Nigeria’s global academic rankings.
On pensions, the union lamented that professors who served for over four decades now receive as little as ₦150,000 monthly, despite rising inflation and high living costs.
While the union awaits the outcome of a government meeting scheduled for August 28 before deciding its next line of action, it announced plans to stage rallies across campuses next week to demonstrate members’ frustrations.
“Time is running out. We cannot continue to wait endlessly while the future of Nigerian universities is destroyed,” Piwuna warned.
OTN News, however, observes that the development has raised fears that another round of industrial action could soon cripple Nigeria’s fragile education sector, leaving students and parents bracing for fresh disruptions.
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