The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a threat to go on strike if the Federal Government fails to release the salaries withheld from public university lecturers. President Emmanuel Osodeke revealed this in an interview on Channels Television,Vnguard reports
Osodeke emphasized the injustice of the government paying only four out of seven-and-a-half months’ withheld salaries to lecturers. He asserted that public universities had compensated for the period they were on strike in 2022 by covering the missed work.
According to Osodeke, ASUU members have sacrificed vacation time and diligently worked to fulfill their responsibilities. He stated that the two-week ultimatum given to the government began on May 13, 2024, demanding full payment for the entire duration of the 2022 industrial action.
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The ASUU president criticized the government’s prioritization of road contracts over the welfare of university workers. He highlighted the inadequacy of lecturers’ salaries, leading many to leave the country for better opportunities.
Osodeke expressed concern over the absence of functional Governing Councils in Nigerian universities for the past 11 months, following a directive by President Tinubu. He emphasized the need to halt illegal practices, including unauthorized recruitments and contract awards.
ASUU urged the government to conclude negotiations initiated in 2017, reinstate dissolved Governing Councils, and settle owed academic allowances. The union’s decision comes amidst ongoing tensions between academic and non-academic unions, dating back to a 2022 strike and subsequent ‘no work, no pay’ policy by the Buhari administration.
While ASUU received payment for four months of withheld salaries, non-academic unions like SSANU and NASU are yet to receive any compensation. Despite promises of consideration for half pay, unresolved grievances persist, prompting ASUU to take decisive action.
