ASUU mulls fresh strike, issues 3-week ultimatum to Nigerian Government

*Academic Staff Union of Universities warns the Federal Government the Union may be compelled to embark on a new nationwide strike should the government fail to implement the December 2020 Memorandum of Action it signed with the government

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

For alleged failure of the government to implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with the authorities before suspending the last industrial action, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to address all issues in the December 2020 Agreement.

ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, President of ASUU, who stated this development Monday, November 15, 2021, when addressing reporters in Abuja, FCT, warned that the Union might be compelled to embark on another nationwide strike should the government fail to implement the last MoA with the government.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, President of ASUU (2nd right), and other Union leaders at a press conference, in Abuja, FCT

Recall ASUU embarked on a nationwide strike March 2020, sequel to its disagreement with the government over the funding of the Nigerian universities and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), among other issues.

The ASUU President noted that all the issues, including those of unpaid academic earned allowances and the universities revitalisation fund, have not been addressed almost a year after an agreement was inked.

The academic body said that the ultimatum was part of the resolutions reached at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUU held in Abuja, the country’s capital.

Last year, ASUU had proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the somewhat controversial IPPIS.

Subsequently, in a move to encourage the lecturers resume classes in their various academic communities, Sen. (Dr.)  Chris Ngige, Honourable Minister for Labour and Employment, convened a series of meetings with leaders of the Union and relevant government officials at the time.

However, Amid the strike that lasted several months and negotiations that ended in a deadlock, the government and ASUU later signed a Memorandum of Action in December 2020.

The decision later led to the suspension of the protracted industrial action that lasted nine months, although not after the government offered a cumulative N65billion to the lecturers to address earned academic allowances and revitalisation of universities.

In respect of the disagreement over IPPIS, both parties agreed on the UTAS, while the university lecturers’ salary arrears would be paid by the government on a different platform.

But ASUU at the time cautioned that it would resume the strike should the government fail to meet its part of the agreement reached with the University lecturers in the country.