ASUU Rejects FG’s Stance, Vows to Proceed with Strike Over Unmet Demands

After months of calm in Nigeria’s public university system, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week warning strike, citing the Federal Government’s failure to meet its long-standing demands.

ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the action in Abuja on Monday, saying the strike, which began at midnight, followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government.

Piwuna said that despite several meetings and assurances, the government failed to make meaningful progress on critical issues, including the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, payment of withheld salaries, and adequate funding for public universities.

According to him, an emergency meeting held on October 10 between both parties yielded “provocative and inconsistent” proposals, which he described as a complete departure from earlier agreements reached under the Nimi Briggs-led committee.

He warned that failure to meet the union’s demands after the two-week warning strike would lead to a total and indefinite industrial action.

Meanwhile, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) distanced itself from the strike, saying its members would continue academic activities. CONUA National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, said the union had no dispute with the government, stressing that industrial action would only disrupt academic progress.

In a reaction, government officials expressed disappointment over ASUU’s decision, saying efforts had been made to address the lecturers’ concerns. According to sources in the Ministry of Education, the government negotiating team had scheduled follow-up meetings with ASUU before the union announced the strike.

The development has sparked fresh anxiety among students and parents, who fear another prolonged disruption to academic activities across the country.