The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced its intention to initiate an indefinite strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to uphold the terms of the 2009 agreement.
During a press conference held in Jos on Friday, Prof. Timothy Namo, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, expressed the union’s grievances. He revealed that following the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on August 17-18, a 21-day ultimatum was issued.
“Currently, the government has not honored any of our agreements or addressed our concerns,” Namo stated.
He added that upon the expiration of the initial ultimatum, another 14-day ultimatum commenced on September 23.
“We urge the Nigerian populace to hold the federal government accountable should ASUU choose to cease operations and shutter public universities,” he emphasized.
Namo pointed out several unresolved issues, including the incomplete renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, unpaid salaries for three and a half months of academic staff, overdue wages for adjunct faculty, and outstanding third-party deductions.
Additional persistent concerns mentioned include inadequate funding for the revitalization of public universities, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) as outlined in the 2023 budget, the proliferation of universities, and the lack of implementation of visitation panel reports.
