ASUU Threatens Fresh Strike, Accuses Minister of Misleading Nigerians

The University of Jos branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, of making “misleading statements” about the Federal Government’s fulfilment of agreements with university lecturers.

In a strongly worded statement signed by the branch chairperson, Prof. Jurbe Joseph Molwus, ASUU warned that the union could resume its suspended strike if pending issues were not resolved within the next two weeks.

“As we mobilise for our National Executive Council, NEC meeting scheduled for November 8–9, we expect that outstanding entitlements such as the 3.5 months withheld salaries, 25/35 per cent wage award arrears, promotion arrears, and unpaid salaries of some members would have been paid by now,” the statement read.

The union recalled that it had, on October 22, 2025, issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to settle outstanding issues or face a total shutdown of academic activities.

However, two weeks after the notice, ASUU said there had been “little or no progress” on key issues, including payment of withheld salaries, wage awards, and revitalisation funds.

“But all we get are press releases from the Honourable Minister of Education. What we need are credit alerts, not misleading statements,” Prof. Molwus said.

The lecturers also dismissed government claims of disbursing funds for the revitalisation of public universities.
According to the union, none of the country’s federal universities has received a kobo from the ₦50 billion Revitalisation Fund the government claimed to have released weeks ago.

The group described the situation as a deliberate attempt to deceive Nigerians about the true state of government commitments to tertiary education.

Reacting to Minister Alausa’s claim that ₦2.3 billion had been released to clear salary and promotion arrears across federal universities, ASUU dismissed the statement as “false, misleading, and embarrassing.”

“The minister’s claim of clearing the backlog exists only in his imagination. ₦2.3 billion is grossly inadequate and almost insulting,” the statement said.

The union argued that the amount cited by the minister could barely meet the salary and promotion arrears of three universities, let alone the entire system.

“The minister must state clearly what fraction of the outstanding entitlements this money is meant to cover and for whom,” ASUU demanded.

The University of Jos branch said it had begun mobilisation ahead of ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for next week, where members are expected to review the government’s response and decide on the next course of action.
The union maintained that only concrete steps — not public relations statements — would prevent another nationwide industrial action.

“If within the next two weeks there are no visible results, the union may have no choice but to resume its suspended strike,” the statement warned.

ASUU’s key demands include payment of withheld salaries from the 2022 strike, implementation of wage awards, settlement of promotion arrears, release of revitalisation funds, and payment of earned academic allowances.

The lecturers have repeatedly accused the government of reneging on promises made during previous negotiations, warning that continued neglect could plunge the university system into another prolonged shutdown.