Strike looms as ASUU issues fresh 14-day ultimatum to Federal Government amidst lingering disputes.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a new 14-day ultimatum to the federal government, demanding urgent resolution of long-standing issues affecting lecturers across Nigeria’s public universities to avoid strike action. This follows the expiration of a previous 21-day ultimatum, which saw no significant progress.
ASUU’s key demands include the completion of negotiations on the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, as outlined in the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021. Additionally, the union seeks the payment of salaries withheld during their eight-month strike in 2022, a move which has been a source of contention between the academic body and the government.
In a statement released on Wednesday, ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke warned that this neglect is contributing to a growing crisis in the nation’s public university system.
“ASUU is granting the government an additional 14 days, effective from Monday, September 23, 2024, to address all outstanding matters to the satisfaction of our members,” Prof. Osodeke stated. “If the government fails to act, we cannot be held responsible for any resulting industrial unrest.”
Among the union’s other demands are the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct positions affected by the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
ASUU is also calling for the payment of outstanding third-party deductions, such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions, as well as improved funding for the revitalization of public universities.
Further concerns include the proliferation of universities by both federal and state governments, the need for the implementation of reports from visitation panels, the reinstatement of dissolved university governing councils, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for the IPPIS system.
