New Strike Looms as ASUU Accuses Govt Officials of Sabotage

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to utilise the remaining 10 days out of the one-month grace period to address unresolved concerns affecting the nation’s university system.

The charge followed the resolutions reached at the union’s National Executive Council meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo, between November 8 and 9.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, in a statement issued after the meeting, cautioned that the negotiation process was being sabotaged by some government officials.

He said certain public comments by these officials were “undermining the negotiation process” as they misrepresented both government offers and the level of implementation so far.

ASUU had suspended its two-week warning strike on October 22, granting government until November 22 to meet its key demands. These include the review of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, payment of outstanding salaries and earned academic allowances, and release of the university revitalisation fund.

The union reiterated that it would not hesitate to resume its industrial action “without notice” if no concrete steps were taken within the agreed timeframe.

Prof. Piwuna noted that while the government recently made part-payments of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and released third-party deductions, these were merely symbolic gestures.

“These are confidence-boosting measures, not the core issues under negotiation,” he stated.

He added that although progress had been made in some non-monetary areas, matters relating to salaries, welfare, and conditions of service required a more “radical and committed approach.”

The union emphasised that the real problem was the government’s lack of political will to prioritise education.

According to Piwuna, Nigerian academics deserve better living and working conditions if the country hopes to rescue its collapsing university system.