Hold FG responsible for imminent strike – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cautioned that the Federal Government will bear responsibility for any industrial turmoil in Nigeria’s public universities.

This warning was communicated in a statement endorsed by ASUU’s Chairman at Federal University, Dutse, Dr. Salim Ahmad.

The union highlighted that for the past four years, there has been ongoing industrial discord in Nigeria’s public universities, leading to two significant and preventable strikes.

“The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has made several concerted efforts to dialogue with government officials, including the President, with a view to addressing the outstanding issues in the agreement and the various memoranda signed between the Union and the Federal Government.

” Unfortunately, the Tinubu administration, like the Buhari’s, has been unyielding.

“The nonchalant attitude of the administration to our legitimate and reasonable demands compelled the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU, following wide consultations, to convene a meeting at the University of Ibadan from 17th to 18th August, 2024, where it exhaustively deliberated on the contending issues and resolved to give a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria to address them.

“This ultimatum was duly communicated to the government through the Minister of Education via a letter dated 20th August, 2024,” the statement said.

The statement added that after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, the Federal Government has not demonstrated any genuine commitment to address the issues in contention.

ASUU said failure of the Federal Government to meet the monetary and non-monetary demands of the union is brewing industrial disharmony in Nigeria’s public universities.