The Federal Ministry of Education revealed on Wednesday that the Federal Government is taking active steps to prevent another strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
This comes after ASUU issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the fulfillment of outstanding agreements reached in previous negotiations. ASUU had convened its National Executive Council meeting at the University of Ibadan last weekend, where the union resolved to embark on strike action if their demands were not met.
At a press briefing on Wednesday at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Abia State, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, reiterated that the union would have no choice but to embark on strike if the government failed to meet their demands before the expiration of the ultimatum.
“The government has been dragging its feet on the implementation of our agreements. We have given them another 21 days to show commitment or face industrial action,” Prof. Osodeke warned.
The contentious issues, according to the ASUU President, include the revitalization of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, and the release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions. He also highlighted concerns about illegal recruitments, the proliferation of public universities without proper regulation, and the removal of universities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system.
Reacting to the strike threat, Folashade Biriowo, spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, said, “The ministry is working on it,” adding that efforts were being made to ensure ASUU's demands are addressed.
In a previous meeting with ASUU on June 26, Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman had committed to resolving the issues through dialogue. However, ASUU expressed disappointment that the agreements reached at that meeting had not been implemented.
“The government has failed to deliver on its promises,” Prof. Osodeke said. “We are reviewing the progress made, and if necessary, we will take the next step.”
ASUU has expressed deep concern about the continued neglect of Nigerian universities, citing a mass exodus of experienced scholars to countries with better working conditions. The union criticized the government for not recognizing the urgency of addressing these issues to stop the brain drain.
Despite the threat of industrial action, Prof. Osodeke emphasized that ASUU prefers dialogue, calling for an end to ethnic and religious divisions that could undermine the country's unity.
The next few weeks will be crucial as both ASUU and the government work towards averting another paralyzing strike in the nation's university system.
Post a Comment