ASUU considers indefinite strike as action enters second week

The nationwide warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has entered its second week with no strong signs of ending.

As of yesterday, there was no new official communication or proposals from the Federal Government to the striking lecturers that could make them call off the strike, an indication that the strike may extend beyond the warning level.

Similarly, the reported meeting of ASUU officials with the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, did not yield the desired result.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, a few weeks ago, promised that the rift would soon be resolved permanently.

“We know ASUU members have been patient but strike is not the best option. These are issues that have lingered for decades. The president has also shown genuine political will and benevolence towards education. We will resolve this matter comprehensively, respectfully and in a way that the government can afford,” he said.

Dr. Alausa highlighted several steps already taken by the government to demonstrate commitment, including the release of N50 billion for earned academic allowances and the provision of N150 billion in the 2025 budget for the revitalisation of tertiary institutions.

He assured that discussions on the new conditions of service would soon be concluded, noting that this was the final component of the ongoing negotiation process.

“In the past, we had three different committees working on the needs of the institutions. One was for the universities, one for the polytechnics, and one for the colleges of education. But that was not an efficient way to negotiate. Now, we have one expanded negotiating committee that engages all tertiary institutions and all unions, both academic and non-academic, to ensure a holistic understanding of their needs.

“About 80 percent of the unions’ requests are similar across the tertiary sub-sectors, while the remaining 20 percent relate to peculiar career and institutional needs. We have seen all the requests and we understand their peculiarities. The expanded committee has started work already and will continue to engage the unions expeditiously to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. We are finalising the components of the condition of service that ASUU had proposed.”

ASUU had embarked on two-weeks nationwide warning strike on Monday, October 13, following the inability of the Federal Government to meet the university lecturers’ demands, which mostly bothered on welfare, conditions of service and other things they believe could help to improve teaching and learning in the universities.

Their demands include urgent conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FG/ASUU agreement; release of the withheld three-and-half months salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of universities, and cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in Lagos State University (LASU), Kogi State University (KSU), now Prince Abubakar Audu University and Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

“Others are payment of the outstanding 25/35 percent salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years and release of withheld third-party deductions, including cooperative contributions and union check-off dues, among others.