ASUU threatens indefinite strike over alleged Nigerian govt’s failure to honour agreements

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over the Federal Government’s failure to fulfill agreements earlier reached with the union.

The ASUU Coordinator, Abuja Zone, Dr. Salahu Lawal, stated this at a press conference in Gwagwalada on Wednesday.

ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike in 2020 over the federal government’s failure to honour agreements reached with the union in 2009.

The strike was suspended in December of the same year after the government promised to honour the agreements.

The union blamed the government for allegedly refusing to implement the February 7, 2019, Memorandum of Action which contained important highlights of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.

Lawal said the union would not sign new agreements, nor enter into new negotiation with the federal government.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt to honour agreement with ASUU – Buhari

He said: “The Federal Government has refused to implement the noble proposals contained in that historic document. Here we are in 2022, more than one year since the suspension of the nine-month strike; we’re still waiting on the Federal Government to do the needful.

“It is needless to say that our members are sick and tired of paying of lip service to the education sector.

“Consequent upon the foregoing, our great union has in the past one month undertaken a comprehensive review of the Federal Government’s handling of our welfare (where a Professor takes a gross salary of N416,000 only).

“As a follow up, ASUU has commenced a one week campus-by-campus mobilisation, sensitization and conscientization of its members nationwide on the State of the Union with regard to our cardinal demands and next line of action.

“Barring any last-ditch positive response from the Federal Government, therefore, we are well prepared to declare a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike soonest.”

Lawal said the impending strike would be “beyond any watered-down release of funding for the revitalization of public universities and beyond any devalued and staggered payment of earned academic allowances.”

The coordinator added: “We are not going into the signing of a new agreement; new negotiation nor new memorandum of understanding/memorandum of action.

“We are at the point of reasonable action on the part of the government.

“We insist on the immediate and full implementation of our demands as contained in the December 2020 MOA.

“And also insist on the immediate signing into law and implementation of the Renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement as submitted by the Munzali Jibril Committee in May 2021.”

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