ASUU Issues 14-Day Ultimatum to FG, Threatens Strike Over Unresolved Issues

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, threatening to resume strike action if lingering issues from the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement are not addressed.

In a statement released on Wednesday, September 25, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke emphasized the union’s frustration with the government’s delay tactics, particularly in renegotiating the agreement based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021.

The union also demands the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 strike.

 ASUU highlighted that the unresolved issues, including unpaid salaries of staff on sabbatical and other appointments, outstanding third-party deductions, and funding for the revitalization of public universities, are generating a crisis in the public education system.

“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,” the statement read.

 Moreover, the union is demanding the implementation of university visitation panel reports, the reversal of the dissolution of governing councils, and the replacement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

ASUU’s stance reflects growing concerns over the government’s lack of transparency and commitment to addressing key educational issues, further threatening the stability of Nigeria’s higher education system.