It is no news that the ASUU strike which commenced on the 14th day of February 2022 is now running into its fourth month, causing a clampdown on academic activities in public universities all over the country. Before the strike, the union had issued a warning strike which lasted for two weeks, at the end of which a three-months strike began on a formal note.
Despite a series of meetings between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria at intervals, both parties have not been able to reach an agreement. This has resulted in an extension of the strike action by another three months which might end in August or be extended depending on whether or not both parties reach a conclusion on the matter.
In a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, the president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed that those universities that failed to comply with the decision of the national chapter of the union will be sanctioned.
The demands of the striking lecturers include money for public university revitalization, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution, and promotion arrears. The Renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and inconsistencies in the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System are among the others.
During the interview, the News Agency of Nigeria asked what the fate was for some chapters of the union who have disembarked from the strike action to continue their academic pursuits.
We’ll make certain to question query them, and we’ll follow up in the proper manner. We’ve even queried a few of them, as per the union’s guidelines. We haven’t been called for another meeting since then, and the government hasn’t offered us anything; all they’ve asked us to do is meet with the committee
Prof Emmanuel Osodeke
There hasn’t been another Tripartite Plus meeting on the ongoing industrial action since the last one, called by the President’s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, over a month ago, according to Osodeke. He stated nothing specific about the last meeting, which took place in the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He also stated that the union and the government will meet within the week. News reaching us today alleges that the Union is presently in a meeting with the Federal Government of Nigeria to renegotiate their demands.
