ASUU Issues 14-Day Ultimatum to Tinubu Government, Threatens Strike Over Unfulfilled Agreements
By Okafor Joseph Afam
September 25, 2024
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, demanding the fulfillment of prior agreements or the union will proceed with industrial action.
Central to ASUU’s demands is the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which is based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021. Additionally, the union is calling for the immediate release of withheld salaries related to the 2022 strike action.
In a statement released on Wednesday, ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, criticized the government for a lack of commitment and the use of delaying tactics. He warned that the non-fulfillment of the government’s promises is exacerbating the crisis within Nigeria’s public university system.
The statement read, “In view of the foregoing, ASUU resolves to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, September 23, 2024, during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union. The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from the government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.”
ASUU’s demands include not only the renegotiation of the 2021 agreement but also the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). They also seek the payment of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.
The union is further advocating for the revitalization of public universities, with funding that is partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances also reflected in the same budget.
Other pressing issues include the proliferation of universities by federal and state governments, the implementation of reports from university visitation panels, the reversal of the illegal dissolution of Governing Councils, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for IPPIS.
With the clock ticking, the ultimatum sets the stage for a potential shutdown of Nigeria’s public universities if the government fails to meet ASUU’s demands within the specified time frame.
