“We are set for indefinite strike If the Government does not respond soon”-ASUU tells FG

The Union lamented that they are tired of waiting for the government to fulfill its promise.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU has said that its members in all Universities in the country are set to embark on an indefinite strike if the government refuses to answer their demands.

A meeting was held by the Congress of the union on Monday, with the Chairman of the Congress, Dr. Biodun Olaniran stating that the government’s refusal to honour the agreement between them is appalling.

According to him and his secretary, Dr. Toyin Abegunrin, the union will embark on an indefinite strike if the government doesn’t respond before a certain period of time.

While the union has urged Nigerians to call on the government to avert the impeding strike, the union also stated that they had allowed stakeholders to solicit with the government. However, the union had been portrayed as a dog that could only bark but not bite.

The statement reads, “Our union, ASUU, is using this medium to call upon the Federal Government of Nigeria once again to implement the agreement it signed with ASUU.
“It is unfortunate to mention that the FG signed an agreement with the ASUU since 2009, but the agreement is not implemented till date.

“The agreement was renegotiated in the name of peace, but to our dismay, the government has refused to sign the renegotiated agreement.

“In order to make the implementation of the agreement easy for the FG, the union has limited its demand to only three.

“These include the signing/implementation of the renegotiated agreement of 2009; and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Software instead of the controversial IPPIS.”

When does the union plan to strike?

Kwara State University ASUU chairman, Dr. Salad Sheu also stated that the Federal Government was trying to dribble the union by directing ministers to oversee the implementation of the MoA.

He said, “It is wrong for President Muhammadu Buhari to assign two ministers to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed last year with ASUU.

“First, the assigned ministers are not part of the agreement. Only the ministers of Finance and Education were part of the agreement.

“The Federal Government is trying to take away university autonomy through its designed programmes and it is trying to shy away from implementing the resolutions of the negotiations.

“ASUU is having its National Executive Council meeting at the University of Lagos on February 12 and 13. If nothing is done by the government between now and then, the lecturers may go on strike.”

Meanwhile, multiple sources have confirmed that the union will be going on a warning strike tomorrow (Wednesday) in a motive to further persuade the Federal Government.

Recall that ASUU’s last strike lasted for nine months and stabilised the academic calendar of many institutions. We hope that the union comes to an agreement soon with the government.