The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s last-minute appeal to suspend its proposed warning strike, describing it as “too little, too late.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show, ‘The Morning Brief’, on Thursday, ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, criticised the government’s slow response to the union’s long-standing demands, saying officials only reached out two working days before the strike ultimatum expires.
“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” Piwuna said.
“We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action. They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed, not a word from them. Nothing, until we threatened action.”
Piwuna said the government’s appeal came at the “eleventh hour” and failed to demonstrate seriousness in addressing the issues raised by the union.
“Yesterday, they appealed to us not to embark on action. Our 2009 agreement which is still being renegotiated after eight years remains undone. We have not concluded on it, and two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late,” he added.
Recall that ASUU had on September 29 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over what it described as neglect of the university system and disregard for lecturers’ welfare. The ultimatum expires on Sunday, after which the union says it will embark on a warning strike unless the government takes “substantial action.”
“Their ultimatum expires on Sunday, and after that, there will be a warning strike unless something substantial comes out from the government. So, in the next 48 hours, we expect to receive something substantial,” Piwuna said.
“Then we can go back to our members and ask, ‘Do you think this is sufficient for us to hold on?’ and we will do what our members ask us to do.”
In August, ASUU members across federal and state universities held campus rallies to draw attention to what they termed the government’s persistent neglect of the education sector. Despite the demonstrations, the union said there has been no meaningful engagement from either the federal or state governments.
“What is clear for now is that both the federal and state governments have a strong habit of paying little or no attention to the education sector in general and the welfare of university academics in particular,” ASUU stated in a recent communiqué.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Wednesday urged the union to shelve its planned strike, assuring that it remains committed to addressing all outstanding issues.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said progress was being made through the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, which was recently reconstituted to fast-track talks with both academic and non-academic unions.
“The Federal Government is already looking into the demands of the Union, and progress is being made in the ongoing negotiations,” Alausa said.
“President Bola Tinubu has given clear directives that all efforts must be made to avoid another disruption in the nation’s tertiary institutions.”
Despite the assurance, ASUU insisted that concrete action, not promises, will determine its next steps.
