The University of Uyo branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to honor the 2009 renegotiated agreement with the union or face industrial action.
During a public sensitization protest at the University of Uyo town campus on Wednesday, ASUU Chairperson Prof. Opeyemi Olajide reminded the public that public universities embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022 over unresolved issues. Despite complying with the rule of law and returning to classrooms, the Federal Government has yet to fulfill the agreement.
Prof. Olajide expressed disappointment that two years later, the government remains unresponsive to their demands. The union has reached out to relevant authorities to intervene and urge the government to take necessary actions to avoid further disruption of academic activities. However, these efforts have not yielded positive results.
“In 2022, ASUU was on strike for eight months, public universities in Nigeria were shut down, and students were sent home because the Federal Government refused to address ASUU’s demands as contained in the renegotiated 2009 agreement,” Prof. Olajide stated. “We are very civil, law-abiding, and respect the rule of law. This is two years after, and the Federal Government has refused to sign that agreement with our union.”
He warned that if nothing is done within the next two weeks, ASUU would embark on another strike, sending students home once again.
Dr. Happiness Uduk, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Calabar Zone, highlighted that the Federal Government still owes lecturers three and a half months’ salary. She emphasized the disparity between public and private universities, urging the government to take deliberate steps to resuscitate the public education system.
“Enough is enough! The government is not taking care of public institutions, yet they are establishing their own private universities using our resources and taxpayers’ money,” Dr. Uduk declared. “The Federal Government has about two weeks to act, or ASUU will down tools. The situation is dire, and we are very hungry. We demand that the government pays us what they owe and make the university system functional.”
Former Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Aniekan Brown, echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for “education for all.” He highlighted the disproportionate workload of lecturers compared to their pay and called for a salary increment. Prof. Brown also lamented the heavy taxation burden on lecturers, noting that up to 90 percent of their salary is taken as tax.
As the deadline looms, the Federal Government faces mounting pressure to address ASUU’s demands and avert another nationwide strike that could disrupt the academic calendar and affect countless students across the country.
