The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning that Nigerian universities may soon face another shutdown as frustrations mount over the federal government’s lack of action on critical issues affecting the education sector.
Raphael Amokaha, the zonal coordinator of ASUU Nsukka Zone, criticized the President Bola Tinubu-led government for dismissing a previously negotiated agreement and instead imposing a “take it or leave it” offer.
He expressed the union’s discontent over the government’s failure to address long-standing grievances, which include the payment of four months’ withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.
In a statement released in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, on Wednesday, October 2, Amokaha emphasized the union’s growing impatience with the government’s neglect of the university system.
He pointed out that while ASUU had previously chosen to refrain from industrial action following the suspension of the 2022 strike, this restraint was a testament to their patriotism and selflessness.
However, he warned that the federal government’s ongoing disregard for the education sector is pushing ASUU towards the brink of another strike.
“The union has bent backwards to avoid industrial disharmony in our public universities by seeking an amicable resolution of the issues in contention,” Amokaha stated, underscoring the urgent need for the government to engage constructively with the union to avert a crisis.