
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, or ASUU, has announced that it will shortly begin a national work stoppage to emphasize its demands. According to the group, the federal government’s persistent reluctance to heed its demands and heed its cries is what is driving the impending strike.
Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, the union’s coordinator for the Lagos zone, informed reporters of the development during a press conference held on Tuesday at the University of Lagos. The union’s tolerance is running out due to the government’s disregard for the problems facing its members and public colleges, according to Odukoya.
Odukoya stated that the only way to avert the proposed industrial action is for the federal government to do the needful fast.
He spoke against the backdrop of the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held at the Obafemi Awołowo University, Ile-Ife, on May 11 and 12, 2024.
“Our union assessed the outcomes of its engagements with the state and federal governments over the last few months on matters pertaining to the status of developments around the renegotiated 2009 Agreement, payment of owed salaries and earned academic allowances (EAA), unremitted deductions made by the disruptive and discredited IPPIS, proliferation of universities, and a number of other matters.
“NEC also had a critical review of government policies and actions that had led to the present deteriorated living and working conditions across the country and in our universities, particularly,” he said.
According to him, most of the issues mentioned had been lingering and unaddressed by the government for many years.
He also debunked the threat of a ‘no work, no pay’ rule by the government, adding that the policy is unknown in global labour laws of which Nigeria is a signatory.
Nigeria’s public institutions are at a crucial point in time due to the approaching ASUU statewide strike. It draws attention to the pressing need for a comprehensive reorganization of the nation’s higher education system’s financing and administration. Although the union’s complaints are genuine and warrant consideration, a cooperative strategy that tackles the underlying reasons of the disagreement holds the key to resolution. To develop a stable, efficient, and top-notch higher education environment in Nigeria, ASUU and the government must put the long-term interests of students and the educational system first. The future of Nigerian public universities is clearly in jeopardy, depending on how these persistent problems are resolved, while the country watches to see how this crisis plays out.