The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a comprehensive, total, and indefinite strike that will start at 12:01 a.m. on August 29th and last until all demands are met.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU conducted an emergency meeting on Sunday at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, in Abuja.
According to a statement by Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of ASUU, the meeting was called primarily to examine developments since its previous decision, which extended the statewide strike action for an additional four weeks.
According to Professor Osodeke, the National Executive Council of ASUU observed with regret that the Union had experienced a lot of deceit of the highest level in the last five and half years as the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) engaged ASUU in fruitless and unending negotiation without a display of utmost fidelity.
According to Professor Osodeke, the Federal Government established a committee in 2017 with Dr. Wale Babalakin as its head to rewrite the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement. Dr. Babalakin was replaced in December 2020 by Professor Emeritus Munzali Jibril following three years of fruitless negotiations.
He said that in May 2021, the Renegotiation Committee created and delivered a draft agreement to the Federal Government.
The ASUU National President lamented that the Federal Government made no substantial steps to either sign the agreement or start implementation up until February 14, 2022, when the current strike started.
Professor Osodeke said it was only after the commencement of the ongoing strike that the Federal Government reconstituted the committee with Professor Emeritus Nimi Briggs appointed Chairman to lead the Government Team.
Professor Osodeke affirmed that NEC was utterly disappointed in agents of Government, especially the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for the deliberate falsehood and misrepresentation of facts aimed at scoring cheap political gains.
He said ASUU NEC noted with pains, the concerns of Nigerian students who are also their wards and foster children and condemned Government’s seeming indifference to their plights.
The Union empathizes with the students, their parents, as well as other stakeholders including colleagues who are undertaking their higher degrees) in the universities.
He said ASUU reaffirms its belief in the sanctity of a stable academic system.
