ASUU Warns of Looming Nationwide Strike Over Salary Delays and Unmet Demands
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, signaling the possibility of a nationwide strike if long-standing issues, including salary delays and unmet demands, are not resolved. ASUU National President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, raised the alarm during a press briefing at the University of Jos.Naija Newslagostimes.com.ng
Piwuna outlined unresolved matters such as the renegotiation of the long-overdue 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, outstanding salary arrears, withheld promotions, and poor welfare conditions for retired lecturers. He lamented that lecturers have endured “over two years of broken promises and deliberate delay tactics” from the government.Naija Newslagostimes.com.ng
In a clear demonstration of its resolve, ASUU has adopted a “no pay, no work” stance, vowing to suspend academic duties whenever salaries are delayed. This policy has already triggered partial strike action in institutions like the University of Jos and the University of Abuja.NewsKoboEduspur
Rejecting a recently introduced loan-based initiative, the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), the union labeled it a misleading “trap” and called instead for implementation of existing agreements. “Our members do not need loans; what we need is the implementation of agreements that will improve our purchasing power,” asserted Piwuna.Naija Newsjknewsmedia.com
ASUU also lamented the unchecked proliferation of universities without sufficient funding, arguing that this has undermined academic standards and weakened Nigeria’s global higher education rankings.jknewsmedia.comNaija News
Welfare concerns featured prominently in ASUU’s grievances. The union highlighted that many long-serving professors now receive as little as ₦150,000 per month, an amount impractical amid rising inflation.jknewsmedia.com
In a nation-wide call to action, the union signaled that unless its demands are addressed by a scheduled government meeting on August 28, it will escalate its response by organizing campus rallies next week. These rallies will underscore lecturers’ frustrations and their commitment to protecting academic integrity.jknewsmedia.comNaija News
This warning echoes earlier calls from ASUU to both the federal and state governments to avert a looming crisis in public universities. The union stressed that lofty assurances and dialogues alone would not suffice without concrete action that honours agreements and restores functional autonomy to tertiary institutions.Vanguard NewsChannels Television
The 28 August meeting represents a critical deadline for the Federal Government to demonstrate commitment to academic welfare. Should it fail, the fragility of academic continuity may escalate into widespread disruption, another blow to a system already struggling from repeated industrial actions.
