Breaking News

ASUU extends strike by 4 weeks

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended its ongoing strike by four weeks.

The ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made this known via a statement issued on Monday.

He said the extension of the strike was reached at the union’s National Executive Committee meeting held at the University of Abuja on Sunday.

Osodeke stated the extension of the ongoing industrial action was to give the Federal Government enough time to resolve all outstanding issues with the striking university lecturers.

He, however, noted that the extension of the strike was with immediate effect.

The ASUU President stated: “Following extensive deliberations and taking cognisance of Government’s past failures to abide by its own timelines in addressing issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MOA), NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues.

“The roll-over strike action is with effect from 12.01 am on Monday, 1st August 2022.

“An emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Sunday, 31st July 2022. The meeting was called to review developments since NEC’s resolution to extend its roll-over strike action by another 12 weeks with effect from May 2022.

“The NEC meeting took place against the backdrop of government’s obligations as spelled out in the Memorandum of Action (MOA) it signed with ASUU on 23rd December 2020. Specifically, NEC recalled the government’s failure to conclude the process of renegotiating the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, deploy the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), pay outstanding arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), release the agreed to sum of money for the revitalization of public universities (Federal and States), address proliferation and governance issues in State Universities, settle promotion arrears, release withheld salaries of academics, and pay outstanding third-party deductions led to the initial declaration of the roll-over strike on 14th February 2022.

READ ALSO: Pro-ASUU protest songs of disappointment against PMB

“NEC viewed with seriousness the recent directive given by the President and Visitor to all Federal Universities that the Minister of Education, in consultation with other government officials, should resolve the lingering crisis and report to him within two weeks. The Union wonders why it had taken five full months and needless muscle-flexing for government to come to the realisation of the need for honest engagement.

“NEC acknowledged the growing understanding of the issues and the groundswell of support for the Union’s principled demand for globally competitive university education in Nigeria. Nigerian universities must not be reduced to constituency projects that merely exist on paper and our scholars must be incentivised to stay back and do what they know best, here in Nigeria.

“NEC appreciated the historic nationwide protest of 26th and 27th July 2022 organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to further create awareness on the antics of the Nigerian ruling class to destroy public education. ASUU renews its commitment to the struggles of NLC in championing the cause of the working and suffering Nigerians.

“NEC observed that non-signing of the draft renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement more than one month after it was concluded by Professor Nimi Briggs-led Committee is further tasking the patience of ASUU members nationwide.

“NEC further observed that the ongoing trial of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, on allegation of monumental fraud has vindicated ASUU’s rejection of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS). The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is enjoined to release reports of the latest tests on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) vis-a-vis IPPIS without further delay. ASUU shall resist any attempt to truncate the deployment of UTAS with all legitimate means available to the Union.

“NEC noted that cumulative indifference by the political class gave vent to a pervasive atmosphere of insecurity which now threatens the seamless provision of educational services in the country.

“The unceremonious closure of educational institutions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the recent attack on Presidential Guards, betrays a panicky measure to addressing a malignant ailment. Nothing short of a comprehensive overhaul of the security architecture of the country will sustainably address the problem,” the statement read.

The Star

Segun Ojo

Recent Posts

Christmas: Let’s be instruments of peace, Uba Sani urges Christians

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has felicitated Christians in the state, urging them and other…

6 hours ago

Zenith Bank, Int’l Breweries, NNPC, Others Shine at 2024 SERAS Awards

It was a night of glitz, glamour and celebration at the 18th edition of the…

19 hours ago

Tinubu felicitates Christians on Christmas, says Nigeria on path of restoration

President Bola Tinubu has felicitated Christians on Christmas celebration in the country, saying the nation…

19 hours ago

Uba Sani inaugurates 12 road projects on Xmas Eve

Governor Uba Sani has inaugurated 12 asphaltic roads  within Kaduna metropolis on Tuesday, 10 months…

20 hours ago

Court sends oil magnate to prison for diverting $26m refinery fund

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has remanded the Founder and Chairman of Platform…

20 hours ago

Minister’s aide to MURIC: Wike not running FCTA based on religion

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Federal Capital…

21 hours ago

This website uses cookies.