ASUU gives Nigerian govt 21-day strike notice, cites non-implementation of agreements

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 21-day strike notice to the Federal Government, citing the non-implementation of agreements reached with the union.

The notice was issued at the end of the NEC meeting held at the University of Ibadan, and a copy is expected to be transmitted to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education.

According to a source, “It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21 days’ notice, after which we shall embark on strike. Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws, so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law.”

This development comes after ASUU had threatened to embark on strike over the non-implementation of agreements reached with the federal government.

On June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, invited the union to a meeting to deliberate on the lingering issues affecting universities and to avert the planned strike.

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However, the national president of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that the agreements reached with the Federal Government had not been implemented.

“At the meeting called by the Minister of Education, we agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made. We will also see what we will do next if the government fails to implement the agreements reached.”

Osodeke highlighted some of the demands, including the non-implementation of the 2009 re-negotiated agreements, which have lingered for over six years. He also mentioned the accumulation of academic allowances due to their members for over six years, with nothing done about it.

Additionally, he cited the issue of the revitalisation fund, where only one payment had been made since 2013, and the need for N200 billion yearly for five years to upgrade universities to standard.

Furthermore, Osodeke expressed concern about the government’s failure to stop the proliferation of universities, with many new universities being approved without funds to run them.

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