The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, stating that it should be held responsible for any industrial unrest in Nigeria’s public universities. The union made this statement in a recent communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Federal University, Dutse, Comrade Dr. Salim Ahmad.
ASUU noted that over the past four years, Nigeria’s public universities have been plagued by industrial disharmony, resulting in two costly and avoidable strike actions. The union has made several attempts to engage with government officials, including the President, to address outstanding issues in the agreement and memoranda signed between ASUU and the Federal Government.
However, ASUU claimed that the Tinubu administration has been unyielding in its refusal to address their legitimate demands. The union’s National Executive Council (NEC) convened a meeting at the University of Ibadan from August 17-18, 2024, where it deliberated on the contending issues and resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the outstanding issues.
The ultimatum was communicated to the government through a letter dated August 20, 2024. However, after the expiration of the ultimatum, ASUU claims that the Federal Government has not demonstrated any genuine commitment to addressing the issues in contention.
ASUU warned that failure of the Federal Government to meet their monetary and non-monetary demands is brewing industrial disharmony in Nigeria’s public universities. The union is demanding action from the government to prevent further disruptions to academic activities.
