ASUU Extended Its Strike To Two Months

ASUU Extended Its Strike To Two Months

The warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been prolonged for the next two months.

During a long National Executive Council (NEC) meeting conducted over the weekend at the University of Abuja, ASUU decided to extend the strike.

On Monday, the union’s President, Emmanuel Osodeke, released a statement stating as much.

According to him, the government needed additional time to respond all of the union’s requests in specific terms, hence the strike was extended.

The statement reads:

“The meeting was called to review developments since the Union declared a four weeks total and comprehensive roll-over strike action at the end of its NEC meeting at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos on 12th-13th February, 2022. The strike action came on the heels of Government’s failure to satisfactorily implement the Memorandum of Action (MOA) it signed with the Union in December 2020 on funding for revitalization of public universities (both Federal and States), renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ ASUU Agreement, deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), Earned Academic Allowances, State Universities, promotion arrears, withheld salaries, and non-remittance of third-party deductions.

“NEC noted that the Union’s leadership has held some interactive meetings with agents of government in the last four weeks that the strike action had lasted. However, NEC was disappointed that the Government did not treat the matters involved with the utmost urgency they deserved during the four-week period as expected of a reasonable, responsive, and well-meaning administration.

“NEC viewed the Government’s response, so far, as a continuation of the unconscionable, mindless, and nonchalant attitude of the Nigerian ruling elite towards the proven path of national development which is education.

“NEC acknowledged the intervention efforts, in various ways, by patriots and friends of genuine national development (students, parents, journalists, trade union leaders, civil society activists etc.) to expeditiously resolve the crisis which-Government’s disposition had allowed to fester. However, ASUU, as a union of intellectuals, has historic obligations to make governments honour agreement.

“NEC, having taken reports on the engagements of the Trustees and Principal Officers with the Government, concluded that Government had failed to satisfactorily address all the issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MOA) within the four-week roll-over strike period and resolved that the strike be rolled over for another eight (8) weeks to give Government more time to address all the issues in concrete terms so that our students will resume as soon as possible. The roll-over strike shall commence by 12.01am on Monday, 14th March, 2022.”