The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the federal government to honour the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement or face a nationwide industrial action.According to NAN, Chris Piwuna, ASUU president, made the appeal during a press conference held in Abuja on Friday.Piwuna expressed frustration over the government’s persistent failure to address nine critical issues that have long affected Nigeria’s public universities.
He pointed out that the renegotiation of the agreement, which has been stalled since 2017, remains unresolved.He also highlighted the withholding of salaries from the 2022 strike and the non-payment of entitlements related to the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Additionally, Piwuna criticized the delays in releasing revitalisation funds and earned academic allowances.Despite commitments to inject N150 billion into the university system and to regularize irregular allowances by 2026, these pledges have not been fulfilled.
Piwuna further accused the government of marginalizing ASUU members at state-owned institutions such as Kogi State University and Lagos State University, citing issues like victimization, job insecurity, and salary denial, which he said undermine staff morale.
He argued that universities are increasingly becoming “battlegrounds for political and economic interests,” with political interference compromising leadership selection at institutions like Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the University of Abuja.
The ASUU president called for a “national rebirth through education,” proposing an education summit to address funding, university autonomy, and academic welfare. “Education empowers citizens, drives innovation, and instills values. Without it, development is impossible,” Piwuna stated.
He emphasized that universities should serve as centres for solving national challenges. While expressing openness to dialogue, he warned that ASUU would not tolerate further erosion of their rights.
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