ASUU Threatens Nationwide Strike, Gives FG 14-Day Ultimatum

|By Adejumo Adekunle

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to paralyze academic activities in public universities across the country if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands within the next 14 days.

In a statement issued on Monday after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Abuja, ASUU accused the government of neglecting public universities and ignoring the welfare of its members despite repeated protests.

ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, warned that lecturers would embark on a two-week warning strike if the ultimatum lapses without action from the government. He added that the union could escalate the action into a total and indefinite shutdown of universities nationwide if the demands remain unmet.

The union listed its demands to include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable university funding, revitalisation of public universities, and an end to alleged victimisation of ASUU members at Lagos State University (LASU), Prince Abubakar Audu University, Kogi, and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

Other demands are the payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, resolution of delayed promotion arrears spanning over four years, and the settlement of outstanding third-party deductions.

ASUU maintained that the Federal Government’s failure to act could plunge the nation’s universities into yet another prolonged shutdown.