The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that the Federal Government of Nigeria should be held accountable for any upcoming disruptions in the country’s public universities. The union has expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to address key issues it raised, which could result in another industrial strike in the educational sector.
In a statement signed by Dr. Salim Ahmad, the ASUU Chairman at the Federal University, Dutse (FUD), the union highlighted the ongoing challenges facing Nigerian universities over the past few years. According to ASUU, the public university system has faced multiple strikes due to unresolved issues between the union and the government. The union emphasized that two major strikes, which were both preventable, caused significant setbacks to Nigeria’s education system.
The union stated that its leadership has made continuous efforts to engage the government in dialogue, including reaching out directly to high-ranking officials. ASUU revealed that discussions were held with members of the government, including President Bola Tinubu, but these meetings have yielded little progress. The statement claimed that the current administration has shown an “unyielding” attitude, similar to that of the previous government led by Muhammadu Buhari.
In response to the government’s failure to resolve these issues, ASUU convened a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting from August 17 to 18, 2024, at the University of Ibadan. After extensive deliberations, the union decided to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, asking for urgent action on their demands. These demands, which include both monetary and non-monetary issues, have remained unresolved despite a formal letter sent to the government on August 20, 2024, through the Minister of Education.
ASUU expressed disappointment that the government has not demonstrated any genuine effort to address their concerns. The union further warned that the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum has led to mounting frustration, and there is now a high risk of industrial unrest within public universities.
“The nonchalant attitude of the administration to our legitimate and reasonable demands,” ASUU said in its statement, will result in more instability in Nigeria’s education sector if not addressed soon.
