ASUU threatens fresh strike in varsities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday threatened to embark on a fresh strike over the Federal Government’s failure to honour the agreement signed by both parties.

The union suspended its nine-month strike on December 5 last year.

The varsity lecturers embarked on strike in March last year over the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and poor condition of the institutions, among others.

The ASUU Coordinator in Nsukka Zone, Raphael Amokaha, disclosed this to journalists at the end of the union’s two-day zonal meeting held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Amokaha said the union’s patience had thinned out because of the federal government’s delay in implementing the agreement signed last year.

He said: “The union is being compelled to return to industrial action due to government delay to honour and implement the agreement reached with the union. The agreement led to the suspension of ASUU industrial action last December.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt meets ASUU on fresh strike

“ASUU will be left with no option than to reactivate the suspended industrial action since the government is not ready to do the needful.

“The union has fulfilled the National Industrial Court requirements to embark on strike as our ultimatum to the government ended on August 31 and one week grace has also expired. So the union is allowed by law to embark on strike now.

“It is tragic that successive Nigeria governments by their actions or inactions do not consider education as a key to technological advancements, economic turnaround and nation-building.

“The government is not living up to expectations. It is shocking that ASUU always fight for negotiation to take place, fight for the signing of agreements and finally fight for the implementation of agreements signed.”

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