By Jennifer Amarachi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the federal government 21-day notice before going on a statewide strike.
On Monday, our correspondent in Abuja received confirmation of the development from sources within the ASUU National Executive Council.
A copy of the notification was sent to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education after the NEC meeting, which was held at the University of Ibadan, concluded.
“It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21 days’ notice, after which we shall embark on strike.
“Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law,” the source said.
ASUU had threatened to go on strike over the failure to implement agreements made with the federal government.
On June 26, Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman asked the union to a conference to discuss outstanding concerns impacting universities and avoid the planned walkout.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the national president of ASUU, stated that the agreements struck with the Federal Government had not been implemented after the meeting.
“At the meeting called by the Minister of Education, we agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made.
“We will also see what we will do next if the government fail to implement the agreements reached.”
One of the requests, according to the ASUU president, was to not implement the agreements that were renegotiated in 2009.
He added that the agreements had been around for more than six years and that the administration had not yet put them into effect.
According to Osodeke, nothing has been done to address the academic allowances owed to their members, which have accrued for more than six
years.
He stated that regarding the revitalisation fund, they had decided to raise N200 billion year for a period of five years, as per the Needs Assessment Report.
“Since 2013, only one has been paid. We need revitalisation funds to upgrade our universities to standard so that we can have students and lecturers from outside the country,” he said.
Oshodeke added that the government had not stopped the proliferation of universities, adding that many new universities were being approved without funds to run them.
