The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has brushed off the Federal Government’s appeal to suspend its proposed warning strike, describing the move as “coming a little too late.”
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, made this known on Thursday during an interview on The Morning Brief, monitored by Zoyols Blog. He faulted the government for its slow and nonchalant response to the union’s long-standing demands, saying that repeated delays have eroded the trust between both parties.
“The major challenge with this administration and the Ministry of Education is their sluggish response to critical issues affecting the university system,” Piwuna said. “We met with them in Sokoto and gave a three-week deadline after their request, but we never heard back — not even a simple courtesy message to update us — until the deadline elapsed.”
He revealed that it was only two working days before the planned industrial action that the government reached out, appealing for the strike to be suspended. “Our 2009 agreement has been under renegotiation for eight years, and nothing concrete has been achieved. Then, two days to our action, they come begging. That appeal is clearly too late,” he stressed.
Piwuna reaffirmed that the union’s members were determined to proceed with the warning strike once the current ultimatum expires on Sunday unless the government presents a meaningful offer. “If something substantial comes from them within the next 48 hours, we will present it to our members for consideration. Otherwise, the warning strike begins,” he declared.
ASUU had earlier instructed its chapters nationwide to prepare for a two-week warning strike starting October 13, citing the government’s consistent failure to fulfill its commitments on funding, welfare, and the unresolved 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Zoyols Blog also gathered that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, confirmed on Wednesday that talks with ASUU and other university unions were in their final phase as the government seeks a lasting solution to the recurring crisis in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
