The Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) is set to evaluate its position on the ongoing strike by its members, with a national leadership meeting scheduled for today, Tuesday. This development comes after the government’s renegotiation team, led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, presented a documented response to the union’s demands, including offers on key issues.
According to a strike bulletin issued on Monday, progress has been recorded in areas such as the release of third-party deductions, arrears of promotions, and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA). However, ASUU members held congresses across various university branches to vote on whether to suspend or continue the labour action, with indications that many branches have voted in support of continuing the strike.
The union had given a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government to conclude and implement the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, as well as address other demands. ASUU officials at several universities, including the University of Abuja, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, confirmed that their members largely supported continuing the strike.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the federal government a four-week ultimatum to meet the demands of ASUU and other unions in tertiary institutions, threatening a nationwide shutdown by labour if the demands are not met. NLC President Joe Ajaero stated that the government must address all outstanding issues, including the 2009 agreement with ASUU, within the given timeframe.
A public affairs analyst, Nduka Odo, attributed the ongoing strike to the government’s long-standing passive attitude towards education, viewing it as an expenditure rather than an investment. Odo emphasized that the poor treatment of lecturers, who are the “builders of nations,” has led to a recurring pattern of failed promises and unfulfilled agreements, making strikes inevitable.
The strike has significant implications for the nation’s education system, with experts emphasizing the need for the government to treat education as a national emergency. The government is urged to pay lecturers their entitlements, improve university infrastructure, and honour agreements reached with ASUU to prevent further disruptions to the academic calendar. As the situation unfolds, the nation waits with bated breath to see whether the government will meet the union’s demands and bring an end to the prolonged strike.