Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Extends Strike by 30 Days

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended its ongoing strike by another 30 days, the union said in a statement signed by Emmanuel Osodeke.

In the statement, ASUU said the decision to extend the strike was made after a meeting of executives on Sunday. This, it said would give the federal government time to address its ongoing issues despite two previous extensions.

In February 2022, ASUU embarked on a warning strike to protest against the non-implementation of its various demands raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA).

On March 14, the union extended the strike by two months, citing failure to reach an agreement with the federal government. Again, on May 9, it extended the strike by another three months for the same reasons.

“The Union wonders why it had taken five full months and needless muscle-flexing for government to come to the realisation of the need for honest engagement,” the statement reads.

“NEC acknowledged the growing understanding of the issues and the groundswell of support for the Union’s principled demand for a globally competitive university education in Nigeria. Nigerian universities must not be reduced to constituency projects that merely exist on paper and our scholars must be incentivised to stay back and do what they know best, here in Nigeria.

“NEC observed that non-signing of the draft renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement more than one month after it was concluded by Professor Nimi Briggs-led Committee is further tasking the patience of ASUU members nationwide.

“NEC further observed that the on-going trial of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed ldris, on allegation of monumental fraud has vindicated ASUU’s rejection of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS). The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is enjoined to release reports of the latest tests on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) vis-à-vis IPPIS without further delay. ASUU shall resist any attempt to truncate the deployment of UTAS with all legitimate means available to the Union.

“NEC noted that cumulative indifference by the political class gave vent to pervasive atmosphere of insecurity which now threatens seamless provision of educational services in the country. The unceremonious closure of educational institutions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the recent attack on Presidential Guards, betrays a panicky measure to addressing a malignant ailment. Nothing short of a comprehensive overhaul of the security architecture of the country will sustainably address the problem.

“Following extensive deliberations and taking cognisance of Government’s past failures to abide by its own timelines in addressing issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA), NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues. The role-over strike action is with effect from 12.01a.m. on Monday, 1st August, 2022.”