Just in: ASUU threatens strike, issues 14-day ultimatum to FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve several lingering issues between them.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of ASUU, expressed his disappointment with the government’s apparent “inaction and stalling strategies” in a statement on Wednesday.

He said the inaction is exacerbating the crisis gripping the public university sector.

The union is pushing the federal government to finalize the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, using the Nimi Briggs Committee’s 2021 Draft Agreement as the basis.

Additionally, it is demanding the immediate release of the salaries withheld from its members due to the 2022 strike action.

Beyond the 2021 agreement, ASUU is also advocating for further concessions, such as the payment of past-due salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The union is also seeking to settle outstanding third-party deductions, such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.

ASUU is advocating for two key financial provisions: funding for the revitalization of public universities and payment of earned academic allowances, both of which were partly allocated in the 2023 Federal Government Budget.

Beyond the ongoing agreement and payment disputes, ASUU is also concerned about the rapid expansion of universities by federal and state governments.

The union is also interested in implementing visitation panel reports, reinstatement of dissolved governing councils, and adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the IPPIS.

It said: “In view of the foregoing, ASUU resolves to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, September 23, 2024, during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union.

“The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from the government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.”