The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) officially notified the Federal Government of its intention to initiate a nationwide strike. The union has given the government a 21-day notice.
The announcement came after a meeting of ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) held at the University of Ibadan. Sources from the council confirmed that a formal notice is being prepared for delivery to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education.
“It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21 days’ notice, after which we shall embark on strike,” a source from ASUU told PUNCH. “Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law.”
This latest move follows ASUU’s earlier threats to strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to implement previously agreed-upon terms.
On June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had called for a meeting with the union to address ongoing issues and avoid the strike. However, according to ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the agreements made during that meeting have not been honored.
Osodeke pointed out that the union’s demands include the long-overdue implementation of a 2009 agreement and the disbursement of accumulated academic allowances.
Furthermore, he highlighted concerns regarding the revitalization fund, which was supposed to raise N200 billion annually over five years starting in 2013. To date, only one installment has been paid.
“Since 2013, only one has been paid. We need revitalisation funds to upgrade our universities to standard so that we can have students and lecturers from outside the country,” he said.
