The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced plans for a nationwide strike due to the federal government’s failure to address their long-standing demands.
The union’s Lagos zone coordinator, Professor Adelaja Odukoya, revealed this during a press conference at the University of Lagos on Tuesday.
ASUU has grown increasingly frustrated with the government’s neglect of public universities and their staff. Prof. Odukoya stressed that the only way to prevent the impending strike is for the federal government to promptly meet the union’s demands.
“Our union is losing patience with the government’s insensitivity to the plight of its members and public universities,” Odukoya said. This statement followed the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on May 11 and 12, 2024.
During the NEC meeting, ASUU evaluated its recent interactions with both state and federal governments. The union discussed several unresolved issues, including the renegotiated 2009 Agreement, unpaid salaries, earned academic allowances (EAA), and unremitted deductions made by the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). They also addressed the unchecked proliferation of new universities.
“These issues have been ignored by the government for many years, worsening the living and working conditions in our universities,” Odukoya noted.
In response to the government’s threat of a ‘no work, no pay’ policy, Odukoya argued that such a rule is not recognized by global labor laws, which Nigeria has signed.
“NEC reviewed government actions that have led to the current poor conditions in our universities. We see the ‘no work, no pay’ policy as illegal,” he said.
Odukoya also criticized the newly-formed governing councils for federal universities, calling them illegal. He pointed out that the union had urged the government to allow the previous councils to complete their terms according to the University Act.
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“We are not concerned about the personalities or composition of the new councils, but their illegality,” he stated.
ASUU also called for better funding of existing public universities instead of creating new ones. Odukoya emphasized that improving the capacity and accessibility of these universities would make them more competitive globally.
“It’s better to enhance our current universities rather than create new ones,” he said.
Odukoya concluded by reiterating the union’s determination to continue its struggle for the betterment of university education in the country.
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