The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticised the Federal Government for making a last-minute appeal to stop its planned warning strike.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, described the government’s approach as “too little, too late.”
According to him, the union had shown enough patience, but the government had once again failed to act until the eleventh hour.
“We met in Sokoto and agreed to give them three more weeks. Those three weeks came and passed – not even a courtesy call from the Ministry of Education. It was silence until we threatened to act,” Dr. Piwuna said.
The 2009 Agreement Still in Limbo
At the heart of the face-off is the famous 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, which has remained a sore point for over 14 years. The agreement covers funding of universities, staff welfare, and revitalisation of public institutions; all key issues ASUU insists are non-negotiable.
In fact, most of the union’s previous strikes, including the long shutdown in 2020; have been traced to the failure to honour this agreement.
“This agreement has dragged for almost a decade and a half. We are tired of the government treating us like we don’t matter,” Piwuna added.
The Federal Government, through unnamed officials, reportedly reached out to ASUU just two working days before the proposed action. But the union says such late-night appeals are no longer acceptable.
“If you’re serious, you don’t wait till two days before a strike to start begging. That’s not how to run a country,” Piwuna said.
With Nigerian students and parents now anxiously watching, it remains to be seen if ASUU will proceed with the warning strike or if the Feder Government will pull off a last-minute breakthrough.
