 |
| ASUU Members. |
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to place genuine priority on education, insisting that it remains the foundation of national progress. The Union stressed that, despite mounting threats and frustrations, it will not relent in its struggle to safeguard the future of Nigerian universities.
Speaking at a press conference held on Saturday, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator, Professor Timothy Namo, warned that the Federal Government’s slow response to long-standing issues could once again disrupt academic activities nationwide.
He recalled that on 28 August 2025, ASUU briefed journalists at Sa’adu Zungur University, Gadau, Bauchi State, as directed by the National Executive Council (NEC), cautioning that academic activities could be halted unless urgent steps were taken to resolve outstanding concerns.
Following government inaction, ASUU embarked on a two-week warning strike on 13 October 2025. An emergency NEC meeting on 21 October reviewed developments and acknowledged that while the strike enjoyed strong public backing from students, the media, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Assembly, the core issues remained unresolved.
NEC later suspended the strike to give the Government a one-month window to finalise renegotiations. However, with the deadline now close, ASUU says “nothing substantial has been achieved.”
Professor Namo explained that at NEC’s meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo, from 8–9 November 2025, the Union rejected the Government’s proposed salary increase, describing it as “a drop in the ocean” that is incapable of halting the worsening exodus of academics from Nigerian universities.
He noted that although progress had been recorded on some non-monetary aspects of the renegotiated agreement, the critical issues of salary and conditions of service remain unresolved.
He further warned that the integrity of the renegotiation process is being undermined by certain government officials who are subtly misrepresenting government offers, thereby eroding trust and making it more difficult to reach a sustainable agreement capable of stabilising the university system.
ASUU also criticised the partial payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the delayed release of outstanding third-party deductions, saying these gestures fall far short of what is required to regain the confidence of university lecturers.
These piecemeal actions, the Union argued, only highlight the Government’s inconsistent commitment to addressing long-standing welfare issues in the sector.
Quoting Federal Accounts Allocation Committee figures that indicate rising revenue between 2022 and 2024, ASUU maintained that the challenge is not a lack of resources but a lack of political will and misplaced priorities. The Union insisted that substantial investment in education remains the most reliable route to securing the future of Nigerian children.
ASUU called on traditional rulers, civil society groups, students, the NLC and the National Assembly to intensify pressure on the Government to act decisively and prevent fresh crises in the university system.
.jpg)
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!