ASUU gears up for fresh strike after expiration of notice

Sequel to the expiration of its three weeks strike notice to the Federal Government, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has begun zonal and branches consultation to begin strike.

President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke in a telephone conversation with AIT’s Abulu Osemuaghu on Tuesday evening, said the decision was reached after about three days marathon meeting of its National Executive Council.

ASUU President said the Federal Government is only trying to meet just one of its demands, which is the universities revitalization fund by promising to release N30 billion.

Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemaka Nwajuiba said on Monday that the Federal Government is doing everything possible to prevent another ASUU strike with the release of N30 billion and processes to pay lecturers salaries promptly.

But that doesn’t seem to go down well with the lecturers as Osodeke stressed that ASUU members are not struck mongers, but the Nigerian government may eventually succeed in pushing them into an unfortunate industrial action.

ASUU’s demands include non-payment of owed salaries to some of its members, proper administration of N22 billion earned academic allowance to all university-based unions, and the non-release of integrity test result conducted on the Universities Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS, an alternative created by ASUU to address the lingering issue associated with the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS.

ASUU’s latest moves is coming two weeks after it assured the leadership of the House of Representatives of its resolve to suspend on condition any moves for strike.

ASUU resumed from an almost one year old action last December and it looks set for another round of industrial action barley a year after and at a time when Nigeria is just coming out of Covid-19 restrictions.