The Academic Staff Union of Universities has warned the Federal and State Governments on an impending industrial crisis in Nigeria’s public universities due to unresolved issues.
ASUU President, Comrade Christopher Piwuna, expressed frustration over the government’s failure to address poor welfare, inadequate funding, and unfulfilled agreements, despite ongoing dialogue.
In a statement issued by Comrade Piwuna, the union expressed growing frustration among its members.
According to him, ”Lecturers struggle with inadequate transportation, unpaid utility bills, children’s school fees, and other financial burdens, often teaching on empty stomachs.
”Universities lack essential resources like electronic journals, books, chemicals, and reagents, hindering research and academic productivity.
”The 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains unresolved after over a decade, with the government selectively implementing aspects and resorting to “platitudes and tokenism, ” the statement said.
The warning comes in response to a recent declaration by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who stated, “not again ever in this country will ASUU or tertiary institutions go on strike.”
While the minister hinged this optimism on a strategy of dialogue and meeting union demands, ASUU insists that action must follow words.
“While ASUU share his optimism about dialogue and maintaining relationships, the government needs to go beyond words and act on our outstanding issues,” the union stated.
The union had insisted on a comprehensive CBA that addresses staff welfare and provides a conducive environment for productive academic work.
ASUU wanted the government to honour its commitments and implement agreements in their entirety, rather than cherry-picking aspects.
The union also demanded increased funding for public universities to address infrastructure and resource challenges.
ASUU condemned political interference in vice-chancellor appointments and criticised initiatives like the “Diaspora Bridge” for treating academics as “volunteers” .
The union noted that failure to address these issues may lead to another nationwide strike, disrupting academic activities and further compromising the quality of education.
