By Our Reporter
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on a fresh nationwide strike, accusing the Federal Government of reneging on agreements that date back to 2009.
Speaking at a press conference in Jos on Thursday, ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, said university lecturers have endured over two years of broken promises and neglect.
He listed unresolved issues to include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, payment of outstanding salary arrears, withheld promotions, and the welfare of retired lecturers.
“The general public should also note that ASUU has written several letters to the FGN drawing its attention to the need to resolve this crisis amicably. Lamentably, the FGN has always turned a deaf ear to all our pleas,” Piwuna said.
He dismissed the government’s proposed staff support fund loan scheme, describing it as a trap. “Our members do not need loans. What we need is the implementation of agreements that will improve our purchasing power. Government is still owing us three months’ salaries, yet they are asking us to borrow money,” he added.
The ASUU leader also criticised the proliferation of universities without sustainable funding, warning that it has lowered standards and global rankings. He lamented that professors who have served the nation for more than four decades now receive as little as ₦150,000 monthly.
According to Piwuna, ASUU will await the outcome of a government meeting scheduled for August 28 before deciding its next line of action. However, he revealed that lecturers across the country will stage campus rallies next week to express their frustrations.
“Time is running out. We cannot continue to wait endlessly while the future of Nigerian universities is destroyed,” he warned.
With this ultimatum, fears are mounting that another nationwide ASUU strike may soon cripple academic activities across public universities in Nigeria.
