Education Blues: ASUU extends strike by 3 months in Nigeria

*The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), again, has extended its ongoing strike by 12 more weeks  as the Nigerian public universities will remain shut for the next three months

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

There seems no respite yet for the much troubled education sector of the economy, especially the University system as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), again, has further extended its ongoing strike by 12 more weeks.

ConsumerConnect reports the academic Union took the latest decision to prolong the industrial action at an emergency National Executive Council (NEC), held at ASUU Secretariat, in Abuja, FCT.

ASUU top officials at a meeting in Abuja, FCT    File Photo

The emergency meeting, which had in attendance principal officers and branch chairmen, started Sunday, May 8, 2022, and ended early monrning on Monday, May 9.

Recall the two-month rollover strike the ASUU declared March 14 ended Monday, May 9.

Hence, ASUU’s NEC felt the need to extend it by 12 weeks after initial agitation for indefinite strike because of failure to address the issues in contention.

By implication, public universities in the West African country will remain closed for the next three months.

At the last meeting with government negotiation team led by Prof. Nimi Briggs, ASUU officials walked out, but there is an indication that the both parties would meet next week, according to Sen. (Dr.) Chris Ngige.

ASUU’s demands include the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed with government in December 2020, on funding for revitalisation of public universities (both Federal and states), renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ ASUU Agreement and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

Other outstanding issues are earned academic allowances; state universities, promotion arrears, withheld salaries, non-remittance of third-party deductions and rejection of UTAS that ASUU technical team developed to replace the highly controversial Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

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