The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 21-day strike notice to the Federal Government, signaling a potential nationwide strike if their demands are not addressed.
The announcement was made following a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on August 19, 2024, at the University of Ibadan.
Sources close to ASUU’s NEC confirmed the development in Abuja on Monday. A formal notice detailing the union’s grievances is expected to be sent to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education shortly.
The impending strike is rooted in the union’s dissatisfaction with the federal government’s failure to implement previously agreed-upon measures. This follows a similar threat made earlier in the year.
On June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, convened a meeting with ASUU to address these issues and prevent a strike. Despite these discussions, ASUU’s national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has stated that no significant progress has been made.
Prof. Osodeke highlighted several key issues driving the strike notice. These include the non-implementation of the 2009 re-negotiated agreements between the government and the union, which are crucial for addressing various university needs.
Additionally, Osodeke criticized the federal government for approving numerous new universities without allocating the necessary funds to support their operations.
ASUU’s decision to issue the strike notice underscores the deepening frustration within the academic community over unmet commitments and the perceived mismanagement of resources in the higher education sector.
The union’s leadership has expressed that unless the government acts promptly to fulfill its obligations, the planned strike could significantly disrupt academic activities nationwide.
The Federal Government is expected to respond to ASUU’s notice in the coming days, with hopes of averting a disruption to the academic calendar.