FG’s appeal to halt planned strike coming too late, says ASUU

Chris Piwuna says the government’s plea for public tertiary school lecturers to halt their planned strike came too late.

On October 8, Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, pleaded with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to be patient.

He assured that the final phase of a federal government negotiation with aggrieved public tertiary institution unions is nearing fruition.

Speaking on Thursday during Channels TV’s breakfast show, Chris Piwuna, ASUU president, insisted the strike would start on October 13.

The plannned strike, he added, can only be averted if the federal government takes concrete action towards the demands of the lecturers.

Piwuna said: “The problem with this government is that they are slow in responding to our demands. When we were about to embark on strike action, we went for a meeting in Sokoto and they gave us three weeks, which we accepted. 

“During those three weeks, we never heard a word from them until the three weeks had elapsed.

“Our 2009 renegotiated agreement is still unfulfilled, and with two working days to the strike, you came to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late.”

The ASUU president argued that the disposition of current administration regarding meeting the demands of public university lecturers has remaned the same  withy that of previous government, adding that it has been “promises without action.” 

He said ASUU has never trusted any government because they have never been truthful, nor fulfilled their promises. 

“Government sees our engagement like a football to dribble,” he said. 

“We want to trust the government, but they need to give us enough reasons to do so.”

Piwuna admitted that some of its demands, like stopping the proliferation of universities and earned academic allowances, have been met. 

He said the federal government has imposed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new universities, expressing hope that state governments will also follow suit. 

“I heard the minister say that the government should be commended, that’s just one part of the story,” he said. 

“The fact is that the N50 billion given to our members as earned academic allowances was originally N103 billion. ASUU gave up half of that amount to enable both parties to make progress.

“When it was time to disburse the amount to our members, the government appealed to us to take 20 per cent out of the N50 billion for our sister unions on campuses, again, ASUU agreed.”

ASUU earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum that expires on October 13, 2025, after which it intends to commence a two-week warning strike.

The strike, it said, is primarily to compel the government to sign and implement the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.