Education

ASUU Announces Nationwide Strike with 21-Day Notice to Federal Government

Published by Tope Fakinlede on August 19th, 2024.

ASUU Announces Nationwide Strike with 21-Day Notice to Federal Government

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 21-day notice to the Federal Government, signaling its intention to launch a nationwide strike. This move was confirmed by sources within ASUU’s National Executive Council in Abuja on Monday.

The strike notice, which was issued following a National Executive Council meeting at the University of Ibadan, will be formally communicated to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education. The notice serves as a formal step required by labor laws, rather than an ultimatum.

ASUU’s decision to issue the notice follows previous threats to strike over unresolved issues with the federal government. On June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, convened a meeting with the union to address ongoing concerns and prevent the strike.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU’s national president, reported that the agreements discussed at the meeting have not been fulfilled. He indicated that the union would reconvene in two weeks to assess the government’s progress and decide on further actions if commitments remain unmet.

Osodeke highlighted several key issues, including the unfulfilled 2009 re-negotiated agreements, which have been pending for over six years. He also mentioned the accumulation of academic allowances due to members and the lack of progress on the revitalization fund. According to Osodeke, only one payment has been made towards the proposed N200 billion annual fund since 2013.

Additionally, Osodeke criticized the government for allowing the proliferation of new universities without providing sufficient funding to s

upport them.