ASUU Rejects Government Plea To Stop Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has rejected the Federal Government’s appeal to suspend its planned warning strike, calling the effort belated and insincere.

ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, said the government only reached out two working days before the union’s strike ultimatum would expire. He faulted officials for failing to act on long-standing demands and for treating issues affecting the university system with levity.

The union had issued a 14-day ultimatum on September 29 over what it described as the government’s neglect of public universities and disregard for lecturers’ welfare. The ultimatum ends on Sunday, after which ASUU said it would begin a warning strike if no tangible progress is made.

Piwuna noted that the government’s response came too late to prevent the planned action. He recalled that after an earlier meeting in Sokoto, where the government requested three weeks to address ASUU’s concerns, no feedback was received until the union threatened to strike.

According to him, the ongoing renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government has dragged on for eight years without conclusion. He said it was unacceptable that government representatives waited until the last moment to seek another delay.

Across campuses, ASUU members have held sensitization rallies since August, warning that continued inaction on critical issues such as funding, earned allowances, and the revitalization of universities could push them back to industrial action. The union said both federal and state governments have failed to prioritize education or the welfare of academics.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, appealed on Wednesday for the union to reconsider its strike plans. He said negotiations were ongoing through the recently reconstituted Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee. The minister assured that President Bola Tinubu had directed all relevant agencies to prevent any further disruption in higher institutions.

However, ASUU maintains that promises without practical results will not sway its decision. The union said it will decide its next move based on the government’s concrete actions before the ultimatum expires.