ASUU Accuses Tinubu Govt Of Forcing Lecturers Toward Nationwide Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of deliberately pushing lecturers toward another nationwide strike.

The allegation was made on Monday by the union’s Benin Zone, which covers 10 universities, during a press conference at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State.

Speaking on behalf of the zone, Coordinator Prof. Monday Igbafen warned that Nigerians should hold the Federal Government accountable for any imminent shutdown of public universities, accusing it of refusing to honour past agreements and worsening conditions in the tertiary education sector.

“We want to tell Nigerians not to hold ASUU responsible but hold the Federal Government accountable for the paralysis that will befall Nigerian universities in a few days to come,” Igbafen declared.

The union listed key unresolved issues, including the signing of the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, implementation of improved conditions of service, payment of withheld salaries and promotion arrears, and adequate funding for universities.

Prof. Igbafen stressed that since the suspension of ASUU’s last strike in October 2022, the Federal Government had failed to fulfil its promises, particularly the review of lecturers’ conditions of service. He noted that the government has yet to sign the renegotiated agreement, which the union considers critical to addressing underfunding, poor remuneration, and governance challenges in the university system.

“At the moment, the Federal Government is still unwilling to pay years of arrears of promotion entitlements, continues to pay lip service to funding education, and refuses to release our withheld three and a half months’ salaries and third-party deductions,” he said.

Igbafen further accused top government officials of neglecting public universities because their children are enrolled in institutions abroad. He lamented that lecturers have endured a stagnant salary structure for 16 years, despite the rising cost of living.

“It is unimaginable that, in the face of daily exponential increases in the cost of basic services and goods, university lecturers have been abandoned to grapple with an abysmally poor salary structure,” he stated.

The ASUU leader described the situation as a “critical moment” for Nigeria’s university system, warning that it was “on the precipice.” He appealed to students, parents, civil society groups, the Nigerian Labour Congress, statesmen, and other stakeholders to pressure the government to honour its agreements and prevent further collapse of the education sector.