The Academic Staff Union of Universities has given the Federal Government a 21-day strike notice, demanding that their grievances be addressed.
This decision was made at the end of ASUU’s National Executive Council meeting, held at the University of Ibadan.
Sources within ASUU confirmed the development to journalists on Monday. “It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21-day notice, after which we shall embark on strike,” a source said. The source also emphasized that the notice is a legal requirement. “Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws, so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law.”
The strike notice puts added pressure on the Federal Government to address ASUU’s demands and avoid further disruptions in the country’s academic institutions.
ASUU has been in a prolonged dispute with the Federal Government over several issues, including the non-implementation of agreements reached in the past. On June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, invited ASUU to a meeting to discuss the ongoing issues and prevent a potential strike.
Following the meeting, ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed frustration over the lack of progress. “At the meeting called by the Minister of Education, we agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made. We will also see what we will do next if the government fails to implement the agreements reached,” Prof. Osodeke stated.
He explained that some of ASUU’s demands include the non-implementation of the 2009 re-negotiated agreements, which have been pending for over six years. Additionally, the academic allowances owed to ASUU members have accumulated over the same period without any resolution.
Prof. Osodeke also highlighted the issue of the revitalisation fund, which was part of the Needs Assessment Report. The agreement was to raise N200 billion yearly for five years to upgrade universities to international standards. However, he noted that since 2013, only one payment has been made. “We need revitalisation funds to upgrade our universities to standard so that we can have students and lecturers from outside the country,” he said.
The 21-day strike notice now serves as a final warning to the government to address these issues or face further disruption in the nation’s universities.
