The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced that it will make a public statement soon regarding its ongoing dispute with the Nigerian government. ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed this in a telephone , stating that the government has made commitments and issued a letter, but the union will take action if those promises are not fulfilled within the agreed timeline.
Osodeke emphasized that the government has made promises, but the union is yet to see tangible results. “The Nigerian government has made promises to us, they even issued a letter to that effect. However, if they do not meet the timeline they set, you will hear from us in the next two weeks,” he said.
This development follows ASUU’s earlier threat in September 2024 to embark on strike action, giving the government a 14-day ultimatum. The union had warned that failure to address its demands could lead to industrial action.
The ongoing dispute between ASUU and the federal government revolves around issues affecting university funding, salary payments, and lecturers’ welfare. Despite the government’s approval of a N300 billion NEEDS assessment fund for universities, no actual disbursement has been made.
ASUU has also expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which lecturers have long opposed. The union has been engaging with a government committee, but has reportedly not received any feedback for two weeks.
With tensions rising and the government yet to fulfill its commitments, ASUU’s upcoming statement could determine whether the country’s public universities will face another round of industrial action.
