The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week warning strike, commencing from midnight on Sunday, in a renewed bid to pressure the federal government into meeting its long-standing demands despite ongoing discussions and pleas.
At a press conference at the union’s national secretariat in the University of Abuja, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, stated that the decision follows the government’s lack of transparency and intentional delay in ongoing negotiations.
Piwuna explained that the two-week industrial action serves as a window for the government to conclude discussions on unresolved issues, including the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, funding for public universities, and the payment of withheld salaries and earned allowances.
“The government has shown no genuine commitment to addressing the issues affecting our universities. We have exercised patience and engaged constructively, but their attitude has made this step unavoidable,” Piwuna said, directing all ASUU members across the country to withdraw their services immediately, stressing that academic activities should remain suspended until further notice or until the expiration of the warning strike period.
The ASUU president also urged Nigerians to hold the federal government responsible for the disruption, insisting that the union’s demands were legitimate and in the best interest of revitalizing public tertiary education.
This latest development marks another chapter in ASUU’s longstanding conflict with the government concerning funding, welfare, and university autonomy, which have precipitated multiple strikes and chaotic academic schedules.
