ASUU Extends Strike By Four Weeks, Cites Government’s Failure To Meet Demands
THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a four-week extension of its ongoing strike, citing the Federal Government’s continued failure to meet its demands on welfare, funding, and the renegotiation of existing agreements.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said the decision was reached after extensive deliberations by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC).
According to him, the extension became necessary due to the government’s inability to honour timelines set for the implementation of the 2020 Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed between both parties.
“After careful review and taking cognisance of government’s consistent failure to abide by its commitments, NEC resolved to roll over the strike for four more weeks, effective from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 1, 2022,” Osodeke stated.
Unresolved Issues
The ASUU president listed several outstanding issues, including the government’s refusal to:
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Conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement;
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Deploy the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS);
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Pay outstanding arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA);
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Release funds for the revitalisation of public universities; and
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Address governance problems and proliferation of state-owned universities.
He further mentioned that withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and unpaid third-party deductions also remain unresolved.
Government’s Response Questioned
Prof. Osodeke noted that the NEC was deeply concerned about the slow response from the Federal Government, despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent directive to the Minister of Education to resolve the crisis within two weeks.
He expressed disappointment that it took over five months and what he described as “needless muscle-flexing” for the government to acknowledge the need for genuine dialogue.
ASUU maintained that the union’s actions were in the best interest of the Nigerian education system, urging the government to demonstrate sincerity and commitment to ending the protracted industrial dispute.
