University Lecturers, ASUU To Meet Nigerian Government Over Six-month-old Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities will discuss its ongoing strike action, which is in its sixth month, with government representatives from Nigeria today.

Recall that on February 14, ASUU began a four-week warning strike.

On March 14, the union prolonged the strike for an additional two months to give the administration time to accede to all of its demands. A 12-week extension was announced on May 9.

Since May 9, the union has been on strike and has vowed to keep going until its demands are granted.

Among other things, the teachers demand better working conditions, the revitalization of public universities, and academic freedom.

A bone of contention for the academics is also the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1trillion.

But the government has said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount, citing low oil prices under the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Speaking on Politics Today, the ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, said the Tuesday meetingwould be to discuss one of seven issues ASUU is protesting over,

“That is the issue of renegotiation,” Osodeke said, “the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

“It is not just about wages. It has to do with the system, funding, the structure, the autonomy and other issues; and how to fund universities.

“The government has reduced it to just salaries alone. But if they had looked at the whole agreement and implemented it, we will not be talking about funding.”

Osodeke suggested that if Tuesday’s meeting goes well, the strike action may be called off.

“We are willing to sign,” he said.