ASUU Defies FG’s Threats As Varsities Shut Down Nationwide: A Battle Tor The Soul Of Nigerian Education
By MELVIN KOFFA
WHEN the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared a two-week warning strike on Monday, the Nigerian academic landscape once again fell silent. Empty lecture halls, postponed examinations, and stranded students became the new normal across campuses. But beneath this déjà vu of disruption lies a deeper contest — one that pits university lecturers’ demand for dignity and due process against a federal government wielding threats of “no work, no pay.”
At the heart of this latest standoff is ASUU’s insistence that it will not bow to intimidation. Its national president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this clear during a television appearance: “We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten us.” The statement set the tone for what has become both a moral and ideological fight — not merely over unpaid allowances and agreements, but over the future of Nigeria’s public education.
A Strike Born of Frustration
ASUU’s two-week warning strike comes after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government to address long-standing issues — unpaid Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), withheld salaries, and failure to implement renegotiated agreements dating as far back as 2009.
The strike has since paralysed academic activities in nearly every public university. From Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to University of Benin, University of Calabar, and Federal University Dutse, the pattern is the same: silent campuses, locked offices, and students in limbo.
In some institutions, ongoing exams were abruptly suspended, while others — like the Nasarawa State University, Keffi — delayed compliance until ongoing assessments could be completed. In Bauchi, Taraba, and Kano, students expressed anger and anxiety over what they called another setback in their academic journey.
A final-year economics student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University lamented, “This strike is untimely. I just finished my exams and was hoping to graduate this year. If it lingers, my NYSC will be delayed again. We’re tired of starting and stopping.”
Government’s Hardline Stance
In response, the Federal Government has doubled down, invoking its ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule. A circular issued by Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa directed vice-chancellors to enforce salary suspension for striking lecturers, a move the union views as provocative and counterproductive.
ASUU insists the policy cannot solve the crisis but only deepens mistrust. “He (the Minister) had better sit down and solve this problem or he will fail in trying to divide us,” Piwuna warned, dismissing government efforts to co-opt parallel academic unions such as CONUA and NAMDA.
Labour Stands Firm with Lecturers
Backing ASUU, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the government’s approach as “reckless and insensitive.” NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero argued that the lecturers’ grievances stemmed from the government’s consistent violation of signed agreements.
“The struggle of ASUU is our struggle,” Ajaero declared. “The fight for public education is a fight for Nigeria’s future. We will not allow these unions to stand alone.”
This alignment with organised labour suggests that the dispute could soon evolve beyond university gates — potentially sparking a broader showdown between the federal government and Nigeria’s workforce.
Campuses in Crisis, Students in Limbo
Across the country, the scenes are starkly similar: deserted lecture halls in UNIJOS and UNILAG, empty auditoriums in OAU and UNICAL, and frustrated students roaming campuses in FUT Minna, KASU, and EBSU.
At Federal University Dutse, final-year students preparing for examinations found themselves stranded. “Every teacher wants to be in the classroom,” said ASUU chairman Dr. Salim Ahmad, “but we are deeply concerned about the conditions of learning and the government’s unfulfilled promises since 2017.”
The situation is even direr for first-year students who had only just resumed before the strike began. At Nnamdi Azikiwe University, a 200-level student, Lilian Nwosu, pleaded, “We just resumed last week, and now everything is at a standstill. We’re begging both sides to find a solution quickly.”
The Deeper Struggle: Funding, Autonomy, and Dignity
Beyond the immediate strike, ASUU’s demands cut to the heart of Nigeria’s educational crisis. The union wants the implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, improved university autonomy, revitalisation of public institutions, and payment of withheld salaries.
At Obafemi Awolowo University, ASUU chairman Prof. Anthony Odiwe summed up the frustration: “The salaries of academic staff in Nigeria are the lowest in the world. Yet, the government threatens us for demanding better. We will endure any threat — including no work, no pay.”
The Cost of Stalemate
The cost of this recurring confrontation is staggering. Repeated strikes have disrupted academic calendars, produced half-baked graduates, and driven thousands of Nigerian youths to foreign universities.
Experts argue that without a radical shift in government’s approach — from managing crises to addressing root causes — Nigeria’s public university system risks total collapse.
The Way Forward
Both ASUU and the government have signalled openness to dialogue, with the Minister of State for Labour reaching out to initiate discussions. But whether this will translate into genuine negotiation remains uncertain.
For now, the silence across Nigeria’s campuses speaks volumes — a silence not of apathy, but of resistance.
As ASUU’s Piwuna put it bluntly, “We’re not intimidated. This struggle is about the soul of our universities — and the future of this country.”
