- Reaction Ramps Up After FG’s Attendance Order Amid ASUU Strike.
- ASUU rejected it, and CONUA navigates a middle path by complying.
- Former VC Olayinka criticized repeated failed committees.
The Federal Government’s directive demanding university vice-chancellors track lecturer attendance has sparked fierce reactions from labour and academic bodies, exposing deep divides in Nigeria’s education landscape.
Almost immediately after the attendance order surfaced, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned it as an attempt to intimidate striking professors. President Joe Ajaero insisted that invoking “No Work, No Pay” and forcing attendance monitoring would not resolve the real issues.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that he described the strike as a legitimate response to repeated government reneging on agreements, saying lecturers are acting out of necessity, not defiance.
The NLC also threatened broader action if the government fails to respond within the strike’s two-week window, warning that solidarity could bring more sectors into the conflict.
ASUU’s zonal leaders rejected the policy outright, pointing to the government’s broken promises and insisting that teaching is impossible under neglected conditions. One ASUU coordinator termed the “No Pay, No Work” stance hypocritical, saying the government itself is the one violating contracts.
Meanwhile, CONUA (the Congress of University Academics) distance itself from the strike and embraced the attendance directive with caution. At the University of Abuja, CONUA members reportedly continued lecture sessions even as ASUU classrooms stood silent. Their leadership defended this stance by promoting dialogue over industrial action.
Former Vice-Chancellor Idowu Olayinka criticized the government’s repetitive use of negotiation committees. He argued that the pattern—from creating panels to ignoring their output—had become the root of distrust between the government and academics.
Students, too, expressed frustration. Many fear the already fragile academic calendar will collapse further. Some are calling on both sides to expedite talks so studies can resume.
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