The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged its members nationwide to prepare for an indefinite strike as a result of the failure of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to fulfill the agreement made with the union.
ASUU also strongly criticized the implementation of the Federal Government’s directive, which requires public universities to remit 40 percent of their Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to the government’s coffers.
In a communiqué issued by the union president, Emmanuel Osodeke, on Monday, ASUU expressed its condemnation of the recent attack on the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Imo State.
During the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Kaduna State University (KASU) from November 11th to 12th, 2023, ASUU discussed various issues affecting the Nigerian University System (NUS) and Nigeria as a whole.
NEC reviewed the state of the struggle for improved conditions of service, funding for revitalization, university autonomy and academic freedom, removal of federal universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), amendment of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Act, and other related matters. The union noted that successive governments have failed to honor several agreements reached with ASUU, particularly the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.
ASUU called on the Federal Government to expedite the process of concluding the renegotiation exercise and release the allocated funds for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). The union directed all ASUU branches to immediately mobilize their members in response.
Furthermore, ASUU reiterated its stance on the dissolution of Governing Councils of universities without adhering to the established laws. The union called on the administration led by President Bola Tinubu to reinstate the Governing Councils of Federal Universities promptly.
ASUU also condemned the directive to remit 40 percent of IGF to the government, stating that it would further impoverish and weaken the Nigerian University System. The union emphasized that universities are not revenue-generating agencies and that the obligatory fees paid by students are meant to provide necessary tools for their education. ASUU called on relevant institutions of the state to remove universities from the category of revenue-generating centers and address the implications for the affordability and accessibility of education in the country.
Finally, ASUU strongly condemned the attack on the President of the NLC in Imo State, demanding that the perpetrators be identified and punished in accordance with the law. The union emphasized its commitment to resisting any attempt to politicize the legitimate demands of the working people.
