After its roll-over strike concluded on July 31, 2022, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) once again extended its ongoing strike for a further four weeks.
In a press release, ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke announced the union’s decision on Monday.
He claimed that following lengthy deliberations and consideration of the government’s prior failures to adhere to its own timeframes in resolving issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Union made the decision (MoA).
According to Osodeke, the NEC decided that the strike should be postponed for a further four weeks to give the administration more time to adequately address all pending issues.
He claims that the role-over strike action will begin at 12.01 a.m. on August 14, 2022.
Notable Quotes:
In his words:
“NEC acknowledged the growing understanding of the issues and the groundswell of support for the Union’s principled demand for a globally competitive university education in Nigeria.
“Nigerian universities must not be reduced to constituency projects that merely exist on paper and our scholars must be incentivised to stay back and do what they know best, here in Nigeria.”
“NEC appreciated the historic nationwide protest of 26th and 27th July, 2022 organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to further create awareness on the antics of the Nigerian ruling class to destroy public education.
ASUU renews its commitment to the struggles of NLC in championing the cause of the working and suffering Nigerians.”
“NEC observed that non-signing of the draft renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement more than one month after it was concluded by Professor Nimi Briggs-led Committee is further tasking the patience of ASUU members nationwide.”
“NEC further observed that the on-going trial of the suspended Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris, on allegation of monumental fraud has vindicated ASUU’s rejection of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS).
“The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is enjoined to release reports of the latest tests on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) vis-à-vis IPPIS without further delay. ASUU shall resist any attempt to truncate the deployment of UTAS with all legitimate means available to the Union.”
“NEC noted that cumulative indifference by the political class gave vent to a pervasive atmosphere of insecurity which now threatens the seamless provision of educational services in the country.
“The unceremonious closure of educational institutions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the recent attack on Presidential Guards, betrays a panicky measure to addressing a malignant ailment.
“Nothing short of a comprehensive overhaul of the security architecture of the country will sustainably address the problem.”
He concluded:
“Following extensive deliberations and taking cognisance of Government’s past failures to abide by its own timelines in addressing issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA), NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues. The role-over strike action is with effect from 12.01 a.m. on Monday, 14 August 2022.”
