Looming Education Sector Crisis: ASUU Gives FG Fresh 14-day Strike Ultimatum

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Nigeria’s education sector risks yet another prolonged industrial crisis as the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day deadline for the federal government to address their demands or face industrial action.

The union said it has extended the 21-day ultimatum earlier given to government on August 18 by another 14 days within which it expects all the lingering issues to be concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union.

A statement signed by ASUU president, Emmanuel Osodeke said: “The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.

“In view of the foregoing, ASUU resolved to give the Nigerian government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, 23rd September 2024 during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union.

“The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.”

ASUU had earlier reached a resolution at its National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Ibadan, on 17th-18th August 2024 and gave a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government to address all the unresolved issues that have plagued the public university system.

The union said the issues in contention include conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; (b) release of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries due to the 2022 strike action; release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.

Other demands include; funding for the revitalization of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 federal government budget, payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget; (h) proliferation of universities by federal and state governments; implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities;(j) illegal dissolution of Governing Councils; and University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for IPPIS).

Osodeke said that the union met to review government’s response on Thursday, last week but noted with regrets government’s failure to fully implement the Memoranda of Understanding/Actions (MOUs/MOAs) arising from the FGN/ASUU Agreement of 2009, particularly between 2013 and 2020.

He said that why l had continued to exacerbate crises in public universities was government’s failure to conclude the re-negotiation the FGNASUU agreement that has lingered for upward of seven years, adding the refusal to implement the agreement has not helped matters especially given the current economic realities in the country.

According to the ASUU, federal government’s wage awards should not and cannot replace the finalization of the draft FGN-ASUU agreement package which was etched on collective bargaining principles.

Also, it blamed government for its refusal to address non-monetary issues such as the removal of universities from IPPIS, despite a presidential directive and a court order.