The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has formally notified the federal government of its intention to commence a nationwide strike within the next 21 days.
This warning comes through a letter sent to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Ministry of Education in Abuja, marking a significant escalation in the union’s ongoing dispute with the government.
The last strike, under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, lasted eight months, severely disrupting the academic calendar of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
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The new strike notice follows a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Ibadan, where ASUU leadership resolved to take action due to the government’s continued failure to meet the union’s demands.
“This is not an ultimatum but a formal strike notice. We are providing a 21-day notice before we proceed with the strike,” a source within ASUU leadership disclosed to newsmen on Monday. The source confirmed that a formal copy of the notice would be forwarded to the relevant ministries.
According to trade union laws, ASUU is required to give at least 21 days’ notice before the commencement of any strike action. The union had previously threatened to strike over the government’s failure to implement various agreements.
Despite a meeting on June 26 between the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and ASUU representatives, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that the agreements reached during that meeting have yet to be implemented.
What is ASUU Saying?
Key issues fueling the union’s grievances include the non-implementation of the 2009 renegotiated agreements, unpaid accumulated academic allowances, and the incomplete release of revitalization funds.
According to Osodeke, only a fraction of the agreed N200 billion annual revitalization fund for five years, promised since 2013, has been disbursed to the institutions.
The impending strike threatens to once again disrupt academic activities across the country, as ASUU members continue to push for the fulfillment of their longstanding demands.
