ASUU to decide on strike after NEC meeting on Sunday

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Sunday meet to take a decision on whether to suspend or continue with the industrial action.

Daily Independent gathered that the academic council will meet at the union’s national headquarters at the University of Abuja to take a decision on the prolonged strike based on reports from the various state congresses.

It could be recalled that ASUU embarked on a month warning strike on Monday, February 14, 2022, and has been rolling over the strike to date, while the other three unions, starting with NAAT, downed tools in March.

The union had demanded the renegotiation of the ASUU-FGN 2009 agreement; release of revitalisation funds for universities; deployment of the University Transparency Accountability System (UTAS) for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers; release of earned allowances; and the release of the white paper report of the visitation panels to universities.

A source privy to the development told the Punch that “The NEC meeting will hold on August 28, the four weeks ultimatum that we gave is expiring that same day. We will be making our decisions based on the results of the state congresses.

“The NEC has to depend on the result of the congresses. The zones have held their own congresses; the branch chairmen will also talk to their members and they will get feedback which will be transmitted to the NEC.”

When asked if the union will consider calling off the strike, the source asked, “Does it look like the government wants to end the strike?”

Confirming the date of the NEC meeting to our correspondent, the chairperson, ASUU, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin, simply said, “Yes, Sunday.”

Shortly after the commencement of the ASUU strike, other university-based unions such as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and other allied educational institutions also embarked on strike to push their demands.

In a bid to end the strike, the government had set up a negotiation team led by the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Nimi Briggs, to look into negotiations with the unions.

While, SSANU, NASU and NAAT had suspended their strike actions, the negotiations between the government and ASUU had stalled.