By Uche Onyeali
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has announced a two-week warning strike for all public universities in Nigeria.
Its President, Professor Chris Piwuna made the announcement at a press conference yesterday at the University of Abuja.
Professor Piwuna stated that there had been no meaningful progress to prevent the union from moving forward with its planned industrial action.
Explaining that the 14-day notice issued on September 28 had lapsed without any substantial response from the relevant authorities, Piwuna stated that all ASUU branches across the country had been directed to commence full withdrawal of their services beginning at midnight on Monday, October 13.
According to Professor Piwuna, the strike would be total and comprehensive, in line with the resolution reached at the union’s most recent National Executive Council, NEC, meeting.
ASUU had on September 28 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government.
In its notice after a NEC meeting, the union decried the neglect of the university system and government’s consistent refusal to heed to its demands.
“Apart from engagement with the press, in August, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in federal and state universities held rallies, carrying placards on their campuses to press government to address the lingering issues in the university system.
“Nothing came out of all these rallies and pleas. What is clear for now is that both the federal and state governments have a strong habit of paying little or no attention to the education sector in general and the welfare of university academics in particular,” ASUU stated.
Meanwhile, the federal government on Wednesday appealed to ASUU to shelve its planned strike, assuring that it is committed to addressing all outstanding demands raised by the union.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa said the federal government is already looking into the demands of the union and progress is already made in the ongoing negotiations between both parties.
The minister explained that the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee had been reconstituted and inaugurated to fast-track talks with academic and non-academic unions in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
He added that President Bola Tinubu had given clear directives that all efforts must be made to avoid another disruption in tertiary institutions.
The union on Thursday responded to the federal government’s appeal, saying it came a little too late.
The union blamed government for its slow response to their demands, lamenting that it waited until two working days before the strike to make the appeal.
“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands.
“We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action. They gave us three weeks, we accepted it, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed — not a word from them, courtesy to even say, ‘Oh gentlemen, we think we are running short, three weeks is around the corner, we are unable to meet with you on so-and-so date.’ Nothing, until we threatened action.
“Yesterday, they appealed to us not to embark on action. Our 2009 agreement — which is still being renegotiated after eight years — remains undone. We have not concluded on it, and two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late,” Piwuna said.
The ASUU president insisted that the union would embark on its strike action at the expiration of its ultimatum on Sunday unless an urgent action is taken by government.
