ASUU Hits Back At Tinubu Government Over Pay Threat

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has fired back at the Bola Tinubu administration over its warning to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy, saying lecturers are equally prepared to respond with “no pay, no work.”

The clash marks a new phase in the ongoing standoff between the federal government and the university union, which began a two-week warning strike on Monday.

ASUU’s Akure Zonal Coordinator, Adeola Egbetokun, dismissed the government’s threat, accusing it of deceit and neglect. He said the strike became inevitable after years of unfulfilled agreements and unkept promises on funding, allowances, and working conditions. According to him, the government’s last-minute attempt to introduce a new document during negotiations was a betrayal of earlier discussions and draft agreements jointly developed with the Yayale Ahmed committee.

Egbetokun said ASUU members are fully prepared for any consequence of the warning strike, insisting that the government’s actions left the union with no alternative. He warned that if the authorities fail to act within the two-week window, ASUU would meet to decide its next line of action, which could escalate the crisis further.

The lecturers’ strike, which began on October 13, follows the union’s complaints that successive governments have failed to address long-standing issues in the education sector, including revitalization funds, unpaid earned allowances, and the implementation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

In its reaction, the Federal Ministry of Education accused ASUU of abandoning ongoing talks and resorting to industrial action despite repeated efforts at negotiation. The ministry maintained that it had demonstrated goodwill and urged the union to return to dialogue instead of disrupting the academic calendar again.

The government also reiterated its plan to apply the “no work, no pay” rule if lecturers remain off duty, a move ASUU has vowed to resist. With tensions now rising on campuses nationwide, students fear a prolonged shutdown if both sides fail to reach common ground in the coming days.