BREAKING: ASUU Threatens New Strike, Issues Three-Week Ultimatum to FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to address its demands or face industrial action.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to address its demands or face industrial action.

Comrade Salim Ahmed, Chairperson of ASUU’s Federal University Dutse (FUD) Branch in Jigawa State, issued this warning during an emergency press conference held at the FUD ASUU Secretariat in Dutse.

Ahmed stated, “The Expanded Executive Officers of ASUU Federal University Dutse met today, Wednesday, 19th June 2024, to review the Union’s engagements with both Federal and State governments on resolving the ongoing issues plaguing Nigerian public universities.”

He noted that the current administration has consistently ignored ASUU’s leadership since coming into office on 29th May 2023.

“Despite numerous efforts by ASUU’s leadership to initiate a meeting with the government to discuss and resolve these issues through collective bargaining, as per the principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO), our attempts have been unsuccessful,” Ahmed explained.

He highlighted that the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement addresses critical issues such as staff welfare, university autonomy, funding for revitalizing Nigerian universities, and the unchecked proliferation of public universities.

Ahmed elaborated that the issues relating to conditions of service include unresolved matters from the 2012/2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the 2017 Memorandum of Action (MoA), the illegal dissolution of governing councils in federal and state universities, and the release of seven months of withheld salaries for work already completed.

Other unresolved issues include unpaid salaries for members on sabbatical or adjunct roles due to the inefficiencies of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), release of third-party deductions by IPPIS, payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), implementation of visitation panel reports, and adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace IPPIS.

“Given these unresolved issues, our members, like those in other branches, believe the Federal Government is reluctant to address these concerns. Therefore, following directives from the National Secretariat, we resolved to hold a press conference to inform parents and stakeholders about the government’s failure to address these lingering issues,” Ahmed said.

He emphasized that the public needs to be aware of the true state of affairs.

Ahmed revealed that within the next three weeks, the union would begin mobilizing its members and raising awareness for further action.

“The union calls on all well-meaning individuals to urge the Nigerian Government to address these issues and meet with our leadership to prevent an unnecessary and avoidable industrial crisis in our already fragile university system,” Ahmed concluded.

READ ALSO: Prepare for a Full-scale Strike — ASUU Tells FG

SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, DAILY POST