ASUU Plans Another Nationwide Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is making headlines again as they have just announced plans to start a nationwide strike in the next 21 days.

This news comes from a letter that was sent to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, as well as the Ministry of Education, both located in Abuja.

Last time ASUU went on strike during President Muhammadu Buhari‘s time in office, it lasted a staggering eight months, causing major disruptions to the academic calendar in the country’s universities.

A source close to the ASUU leadership confirmed this new development to reporters on Monday. They mentioned that the notice was issued after a meeting of the National Executive Council held at the University of Ibadan. A formal notice will soon be sent to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education.

“This is not an ultimatum but a formal strike notice. We are providing a 21-day notice before we proceed with the strike,” the source stated.

According to labor laws, ASUU is required to give a formal notice of at least 21 days before starting a strike. This time, ASUU has indicated they are considering the strike due to the federal government’s failure to fulfill previous agreements.

In a meeting held on June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, discussed these issues with ASUU in hopes of averting the strike. However, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, pointed out that the agreements made during that discussion have not been put into action.

Among the key demands from ASUU are the unresolved issues surrounding the 2009 renegotiated agreements and the unpaid academic allowances they are owed.

Osodeke also highlighted that the revitalization funds promised to universities have not been fully released, with only a fraction of the agreed N200 billion allocated over five years actually disbursed to the institutions since 2013.