The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is set to extend its ongoing strike that has paralyzed Nigeria’s public universities, 196 days after they embarked on the industrial action.
The decision to roll over the strike was taken after a crucial and stormy National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the university lecturers at the union’s headquarters at the University of Abuja on Sunday evening and the early hours of Monday.
The action of ASUU appears to have dashed the hopes of many Nigerians, including parents and students, who were optimistic that a favorable decision to suspend the industrial action might be taken after the meeting.
Although there has not been any official confirmation of the extension of the strike action by the ASUU leadership, some reports have suggested that the industrial action will likely be rolled over for some months based on the outcome of the meeting.
The Federal Government in their last meeting with the leadership of the union, pleaded with them to call off the strike as they have met most of their concerns and the remaining ones will be taken care of in the next year’s budget.
What you should know
- Recall that Naira metrics had earlier reported that the NEC of ASUU commenced its make or mar meeting on Sunday night/Monday morning to decide on whether the union will continue her over 6-month strike or not.
- The crucial NEC meeting of ASUU was coming after the union’s branches had held their congresses during the week, with the majority of them voting for a rollover or an indefinite strike.
- ASUU had on February 14, 2022, embarked on a 4-week total and comprehensive strike to press home their unresolved demands on the federal government.
- Some of the lecturers’ demands include funding for the revitalization of public universities, which amounts to N1.1 trillion, payment of earned academic allowances, and adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a preferred payment option, instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and payment of promotion arrears.
- Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement and the resolution of inconsistencies in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)
