Inedependent
ABUJA – The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU has extended its industrial action by an additional 8 weeks, two months extra, DAILY INDEPENDENT has confirmed.
The extension followed the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union held on Sunday, 13th March 2022
at the Comrade Festus lyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja.
Professor Emmanuel Osokode, President of ASUU, in a statement on Monday, noted that the meeting was called to review developments since the Union declared a four weeks total and comprehensive roll-over strike action at the end of its NEC meeting at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos on 12th 13th February 8, 2022.
He attributed the extension to provide more time for the federal government to accede to its demands part of which involves the provision of funds for universities revitalization and the payment structure using the UTAS.
Osokode also alleged that the strike action came on the heels of the Government’s failure to satisfactorily implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with the Union in December 2020 on funding for revitalization of public universities (both Federal and States), renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), Earned Academic Allowances, State Universities, promotion arrears, withheld salaries, and non-remittance of third-party deductions.
“NEC noted that the Union’s leadership has held some interactive meetings with agents of government in the last four weeks that the strike action had lasted. However, NEC was disappointed that Government did not treat the matters involved with the utmost urgency they deserved during the four-week period as expected of a reasonable, responsive, and well-meaning administration.
“NEC viewed Government’s response, so far, as a continuation of the unconscionable, mindless, and nonchalant attitude of the Nigerian ruling elite towards the proven path of national development which is education.
“NEC acknowledged the intervention efforts, in various ways, by patriots and friends of genuine national development (students, parents, journalists, trade union leaders, civil society activists etc.) to expeditiously resolve the crisis which Government’s disposition had allowed to fester. However, ASUU, as a union of intellectuals, has historic obligations to make governments honour agreements.
