ASUU claims a nationwide strike is imminent.

JUST IN: ASUU claims a nationwide strike is imminent.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to go on a national strike as soon as possible because the

federal government has refused to accede to its demands in spite of repeated requests.
Prof. Adelaja Odukoya,

the coordinator of the union’s Lagos zone, addressed reporters during a press conference held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Tuesday, May 21. She stated that the union was

quickly running out of patience with the government’s “insensitivity” to the needs of both its members and public universities.

Attending the conference were all of the union branch leaders from the zone at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka.

Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, the zone coordinator, spoke to reporters at the forum and stated that the federal government’s prompt intervention is the only thing that may prevent them from starting the planned

industrial action.

In the context of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which took place at Obafemi Awołowo University in Ile-Ife on Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12, 2024, he addressed.

“On matters pertaining to the status of developments around the renegotiated 2009 Agreement, payment of owed salaries and earned academic allowances (EAA), unremitted deductions made by the disruptive

and discredited IPPIS, proliferation of universities, and a number of other matters,” he stated, “our union assessed the outcomes of its engagements with the State and Federal governments over the last few

months.”

“The government’s policies and actions that had contributed to the current decline in living and working conditions nationwide, and in our universities specifically, were also critically examined by the NC.”

Odukoya pointed out that the majority of the concerns raised had been there for a long time and had not been addressed by the administration.

He played down the government’s threat of enforcing a “no work, no pay” policy, pointing out that Nigeria is a party to international labor rules that do not include the policy.

Odukoya referred to the recently established federal university governing bodies as “illegal.”

He claimed that in order for ASUU to fulfill its tenure in accordance with the University Act, which established them, the federal government had been persuaded to recall them almost a year prior.

“So, the illegality of forming new councils is what we are talking about, not the personalities and makeup in the list,” he continued.

Instead of building new public universities, Odukoya urged adequate funding for existing ones, pointing out that it is preferable to increase current institutions’ accessibility and capability while also boosting

their level of global competitiveness.

He declared that ASUU would not give up on improving public university education and the nation.