The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, signaling a potential nationwide strike.
This decision emerged from the union’s national executive council meeting held at the University of Ibadan over the weekend.
While ASUU has not publicly disclosed the specifics of their demands, a senior union member confirmed to our correspondent in Abuja that the 21-day notice is a precursor to the planned industrial action. This follows ASUU’s July threat of an indefinite strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement.
In July, Melemi Abatcha, Chairman of ASUU’s Gashua branch in Yobe State, outlined critical issues including inadequate funding for the revitalization of public universities, stagnant salaries since 2009, and problems with the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). He highlighted that despite a Federal Executive Council directive to remove ASUU from IPPIS, members continue to be paid through the system.
Other concerns include university autonomy, the expansion of public universities, a backlog of N50 billion in academic allowances, and the withholding of three-and-a-half months’ salaries.
Earlier, on June 26, Minister of Education Prof. Tahir Mamman had invited ASUU for discussions on these issues, but the union reports no significant progress has been made since.