The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a new 14-day ultimatum for a nationwide strike, highlighting that lecturers are increasingly “hungry and angry.”
This declaration comes as the Owerri Zone of ASUU urged Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Anambra State Governor Professor Charles Soludo to demonstrate greater commitment to the welfare of lecturers at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University and Imo State University.
Dennis Aribodor, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Owerri, made the call during a press conference in Owerri, the capital of Imo State. The Owerri Zone comprises several institutions, including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Igbariam, Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Anambra, Federal University of Technology in Owerri, and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Ebonyi State.
ASUU’s latest 14-day extension is intended to give the government a chance to address the looming crisis and prevent further industrial unrest in public universities. Aribodor criticized the government’s assertion of insufficient funds, attributing the issues instead to a lack of political will.
“Information available to ASUU does not support government claims of insufficient funds but points squarely to a deficit of political will. The substantial inflows from subsidy removal and the devaluation of the Naira, which have led to significant monthly disbursements from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to all three tiers of government, make the government’s claims seem unfounded,” he stated.
Aribodor further explained, “Basic economic principles suggest that both Federal and State Governments do not prioritize the welfare of Nigerian academics. If they did, the prolonged negotiations with ASUU would have produced satisfactory results for stability and harmony in the Nigerian University System.”
He called on the Nigerian populace to intervene in the ongoing crisis, stating that the government’s ongoing reliance on empty promises and delay tactics is exacerbating tensions within the public university system. “Lecturers are hungry and angry! We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to pressure the government to resolve these outstanding issues, in line with the African Union’s agenda for quality and accessible education,” he said, especially as 2024 has been designated as the African Union Year of Education.
Aribodor criticized the government for neglecting non-monetary issues, such as the removal of universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), despite a presidential directive and a court order. ASUU has proposed an alternative payment platform, UTAS, which they believe is more efficient.
Among the issues under contention for the past seven years are the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; the release of withheld salaries from the 2022 strike; and unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by IPPIS.
Additional points of dispute include the release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions; adequate funding for the revitalization of public universities; and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), which were partially addressed in the 2023 Federal Government Budget.
ASUU is also urging the government to tackle the proliferation of universities established by both federal and state authorities and
