The Academic Staff Union of Universities in a fresh strike notice the federal government has issued a 14-day ultimatum to resolve several lingering issues between the union and the federal government.
The ultimatum was issued on Wednesday by the president of union Emmanuel Osodeke through a ststemtn released. The president expressed frustration with the with the lack of governments commitment and the tactics it has employed to delay implementation of the agreement noting that the delay have been the cause of the crisis that have been seen in the university system.
The ASUU noted that it was asking the government to conclude nad recognise the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021, as well as the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 strike action.
The statement noted that with the current attitude of government the union has decided to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days which has been added to the 21 day ultimatum which was issued earlier. The union noted that the 14 days ultimatum will begin on Monday, September 23, 2024, the union demanded that within the period the government must have addressed the issues raised by the union to their satisfaction
He noted that the Nigerains should be aware of the ultimatum and held the union responsible for any industrial action if the government fails to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to stop the looming crisis in the university system.
Other demands of the union includes the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, and the payment of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions. The demands were made alongside the the implementation of the 2021 agreement.
The union has also asked the government to release funds for the revitalization of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget.
It was also lernet that the other issues in contention includes the proliferation of universities by Federal and State Governments, the implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities, the reversal of the illegal dissolution of Governing Councils, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as a replacement for IPPIS.
The crisis in the Nigeran education system has been an aged long issues with the university based unions embarking on industrial actions at least once every years. The strike actions have continued to disrupt the academic calader of the university also keeping students longer in school which has affected their educational development.
