ASUU issues pre-strike notice to FG over unmet demands

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government, threatening a total and indefinite strike if its demands on the revitalisation of tertiary schools and staff welfare are not met.

The union’s president, Chris Piwuna, issued a communique after the union’s national executive council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Abuja on Sunday.

Piwuna criticised what he described as the government’s consistent refusal to heed its demands.

ASUU stated that if the federal government fails to address the issues within the two-week ultimatum, the union will first embark on a two-week warning strike, followed by a total and indefinite strike.

The union lamented the “declining fortunes of university education” and the government’s “strong habit of paying little or no attention” to public universities.

It noted that its latest threat comes after it had held rallies across both federal and state universities in August that yielded no results.

“It is over sixteen years now since ASUU has brought these issues to the media and the public domain,” the comminique stated.

“ASUU is confident that the Nigerian leadership has the capacity to fix Nigerian Universities once and for all.”

The union listed seven lingering issues which, it says, have been debated for over three months.

They include re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding for revitalisation of universities, and addressing the victimisation of colleagues in some federal universities.

Other action items, the union said, include the payment of outstanding 25-35 per cent salary arrears, addressing promotion areas that have lingered for over four years, and resolving issues concerning third-party deductions.

“ASUU as a union believes that the government has the muscle to avert this looming strike,” the statement concluded.