The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced that it will proceed with a planned two-week nationwide warning strike if the Federal Government does not respond to its demands by October 13.
The strike follows a two-week ultimatum issued last week, which urged the government to address long-standing unresolved issues, including the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
ASUU President Chris Piwuna stated at a leadership training program held at Niger Delta University in Amassoma, Bayelsa State, that the union’s position on the warning strike is firm and will not change unless the federal government meets their conditions.
The union plans to begin the strike by midnight of Monday and will evaluate further actions after the two-week period, potentially moving to an indefinite strike if the issues remain unaddressed.
The union’s demands include the re-negotiation of agreements from 2009, which ASUU says have remained unresolved for years. Piwuna noted that several rounds of dialogue with the government have not produced results, leading to the decision to implement industrial action.
The union also opposed loan schemes in the current economic climate, arguing that families are unable to repay loans due to high unemployment rates.
ASUU called for grants rather than loans to support university operations and raised concerns about the spending of NELFUND, which they said appears disproportionate compared to university budgets.
During the leadership training, ASUU’s National Financial Secretary, Happiness Uduk, reminded members of the importance of integrity, transparency, and accountability in their roles.
Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Delta State, Ezekiel Agbalagba, discussed the need for members to follow the union’s work guide and collaborate to improve the quality of education in Nigerian universities.
The Vice Chancellor of Niger Delta University, Allen Agih, praised the organizers and participants of the training, calling for such programs to be held regularly due to their importance.
Lucky Bebeteidoh, chairperson of ASUU’s NDU branch, thanked the ASUU President for attending despite his busy schedule and commended the members for their active participation.
The union’s warning strike is set to begin as planned, and ASUU has indicated that further decisions on extended action will depend on the federal government’s response to their demands.