The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the federal government a 14-day deadline to meet its outstanding commitments, warning of a potential strike if their demands are not addressed.
In a statement released on Wednesday by ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the union expressed frustration over the government’s failure to fulfill agreements that date back to 2009.
One of ASUU’s key demands is the payment of salaries withheld during the 2022 strike and an end to what it calls the government’s “delaying tactics.”
The union is also pushing for the finalization of the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the recommendations of the Nimi Briggs Committee.
ASUU stated that if their demands are not met within the next two weeks, they will proceed with industrial action, which could disrupt academic activities in public universities nationwide.
“ASUU is giving the government another 14 days, effective from Monday, September 23, 2024, to fully address all outstanding issues. Failure to do so will lead to a strike, and the union should not be blamed for any disruption,” the statement read.
Among ASUU’s other concerns are the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical and part-time appointments, resolving issues with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and clearing outstanding third-party deductions like check-off dues and cooperative contributions.
The union is also demanding funding for the revitalization of public universities, the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, the reversal of the dissolution of Governing Councils, and the replacement of IPPIS with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
