The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has officially notified the Federal Government of its intention to commence a nationwide strike, issuing a 21-day notice.
Sources within ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) confirmed the development to our correspondent in Abuja on Monday.
The notice follows the conclusion of the NEC meeting held at the University of Ibadan and is expected to be formally communicated to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education.
“It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21 days’ notice, after which we shall embark on strike.
“Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law,” the source said.
It would be recalled that ASUU had threatened to embark on strike over the non-implementation of agreements reached with the federal government.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that on June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, invited the union to a meeting to deliberate on the lingering issues affecting universities and to avert the planned strike.
The national president of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke who spoke on the outcome of the meeting said the agreements reached with the Federal Government had not been implemented.
“At the meeting called by the Minister of Education, we agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made.
“We will also see what we will do next if the government fail to implement the agreements reached.”
ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, highlighted key demands, including the non-implementation of the 2009 renegotiated agreements. He noted that these agreements have been pending for over six years without government action.
Osodeke also emphasized that academic allowances due to ASUU members have been accumulating for over six years with no resolution in sight.
Regarding the revitalization fund, he mentioned that the government agreed to raise ₦200 billion annually for five years based on the Needs Assessment Report, but since 2013, only one payment has been made.
He stressed the importance of these funds to upgrade universities to international standards, attracting students and lecturers from abroad.
Osodeke also criticized the government’s failure to halt the proliferation of new universities, which are being approved without adequate funding to sustain them.
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