The Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) National Executive Committee will begin a two-day meeting today at the University of Lagos, Akoka, to finalize the union’s decision on an upcoming strike.
Anaedoonline.ng has learned that ASUU will announce the strike’s final resolution – which will be reached by voting – at the end of the meeting on Sunday.
As far back as 2009, the union had voiced dissatisfaction with the federal government’s inability to follow through on some of the promises it had made. On November 15, 2021, ASUU issued a three-week ultimatum to the federal government for failing to satisfy the requests.
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Following the claimed “government’s unfaithfulness” in implementing the Memorandum of Action it agreed with the union, which resulted in the suspension of the 2020 strike action, the lecturers threatened to go on strike again.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU President, lamented that despite meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on October 14, 2021, on issues such as funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution; promotion arrears, renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, and the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, the union’
Following the threat, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, promised that the union would be paid.
A few weeks after, ASUU suspended the planned strike, as N22.1 billion earned allowances was paid to lecturers in federal universities.
See How Much ASUU Is Expected To Receive To Call Off Strike
On the heels of the union’s renewed agitations, the co-chairmen of the National Inter-religious Council, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, visited the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), last month, over the lack of implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding the government signed with ASUU in 2009 and others.
At the meeting, Buhari said the government remained committed to fulfilling the promises made to ASUU. The president also stated that he had mandated Ngige; the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, and his (Buhari’s) Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, to look into the demands of the union.
But Osodeke in an interview with one of our correspondents insisted that the Federal Government could not be trusted despite the promise of the president.
The union consequently declared Monday, February 9, 2022 as a lecture-free day, in order to mobilise its members ahead of what it described as the longest strike in history.
JUST IN: ASUU May Go On Strike In The Next 24 Hours
Several chapters of the union embraced the directive, and had held several congresses, where they told the public to hold the government responsible if the union decided to embark on strike.
A final decision on the looming strike will be reached this weekend as ASUU NEC meets from February 12 (today) and February 13, at the UNILAG.
Another NEC told Saturday PUNCH that the decision on strike would be put to voting, and all the members present would vote either for — or against it.
He said, “The president of our union is not the one to decide on the strike. Also, none of the officers is expected to unilaterally decide on it. The issues at stake are to be tabled and debated at the meeting.
“Then, all the NEC members will vote either for — or against the strike. Whatever we decide on Sunday would form the next line of action.”
See Conditions ASUU Gave FG For Lecturers To Return To Classroom
Asked if there were enough grounds for the lecturers to go on strike, the source answered in the affirmative.
“Yes, we have even started the strike earlier than now. But as parents, we have been waiting for the government to yield the ground, and fulfil the agreements it voluntarily entered with us,” the source added.
Efforts to reach Adamu proved abortive as he neither picked calls nor replied to a text message sent to his phone number.
But Nwajiuba declined to comment on the union’s meeting, where the ultimate decision on the impending strike would be taken.
However, Ngige has promised to step into the dispute between the federal government and ASUU, if the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission failed to resolve the issue.
The minister told one of our correspondents on Friday that his ministry could only perform a reconciliatory role, as it is not the employer of the lecturers.
Call Off Strike, University Students Appeal To ASUU
He said, “The Ministry of Education is their employer, and we have handed over the necessary tools to them. The major issue with ASUU now is the deployment of UTAS which is under the purview of NITDA — which is under the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy. The NUC also has its own role to play.
“My role is to play a reconciliatory officer. If their employers and the NUC fail to reconcile them, then I step in as the reconciliatory officer. It’s not more than that. But I know their employers are finding ways to resolve these issues.”
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