Again, ASUU threatens fresh strike, gives FG three weeks ultimatum

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a three-week ultimatum to the federal government to meet the requirements of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed on December 23, 2020.

According to the MoA, if FG fails to comply, it says that ASUU can resort to industrial action.

The union said although they met with the Minister of Labor and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on the main outstanding issues, including funding for the revitalization of public universities, academic subsidies received, and university transparency and accountability solutions (UTAS), the promotion of arrears, the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, and the inconsistency of IPPIS payments, the problem still lingers.

Osodeke said, “ASUU is fully committed to upholding academic integrity in our universities and working to make them more globally competitive. We are equally committed to promoting industrial harmony in the Nigerian University System for as long as all stakeholders are willing and committed to play their parts.

“We call on all Vice-Chancellors, as the main drivers of the system, to join us in this mission to safeguard the waning image of our universities. They have no business trading honorary degrees and academic positions for personal and immediate gains; thereby smearing the collective integrity of committed scholars and other patriots who are working day and night to uplift the system that produced them.

“Our union shall not shy away from taking the fight to administrators of Nigerian universities as well as internal and external agents who are and external agents who are bent on compromising the standard ASUU has consistently labored to protect and improve.

“Finally, we call on all patriotic Nigerians and lovers of Nigeria to prevail on the federal and state governments to act fast to prevent another round of industrial crisis in Nigeria’s public universities.

“It is painful that our Union may soon have no other way of securing the implementation of FGN-ASUU collectively bargained agreements and redressing the criminal neglect of welfare issues of our members by State Governors. Governments of Nigerian should be held responsible should ASUU be forced to activate the strike it patriotically suspended.”