Dray
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that the Federal Government should be held accountable for any upcoming industrial action in Nigeria’s public universities.
In a statement signed by the Federal University, Dutse (FUD) Chairman, Comrade Dr. Salim Ahmad, ASUU highlighted the ongoing issues that have led to years of unrest in the education sector, with two previous strike actions costing the nation valuable time and resources.
“For the past four years, public universities in Nigeria have been in a state of industrial disharmony. We have made several attempts to engage in meaningful dialogue with government officials, including meetings with the President, to resolve the lingering issues in the agreements and memoranda signed between the union and the Federal Government,” the statement said.
Despite these efforts, the current administration, led by President Bola Tinubu, has shown little to no willingness to resolve these matters, much like the previous Buhari government.
ASUU expressed frustration with the Federal Government’s dismissive attitude toward its legitimate demands, which led the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union to hold a crucial meeting at the University of Ibadan from August 17th to 18th, 2024. Following the meeting, ASUU issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government, demanding action on both monetary and non-monetary issues affecting Nigeria’s universities.
“This ultimatum was communicated to the government through the Minister of Education via a letter dated August 20th, 2024,” the statement read.
However, with the 21-day deadline now expired, ASUU noted that the Federal Government has not shown any serious commitment to resolving the issues at hand. Failure to address these demands, ASUU warned, is setting the stage for another round of industrial action in Nigeria’s public universities.
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