By Elizabeth Godwin
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a fresh warning of a nationwide strike, accusing the Federal Government of reneging on longstanding agreements concerning the revitalisation and funding of public universities.
At a press conference held Thursday at the University of Jos, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, said lecturers had endured over two years of unfulfilled promises and delay tactics by government officials.
According to him, unresolved issues include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, unpaid salary arrears, withheld promotions, and the welfare of retired lecturers.
“The general public should also note that ASUU has written several letters to the Federal Government on the need to resolve this crisis amicably. Lamentably, the government has always turned a deaf ear to all our pleas,” Piwuna said.
He noted that while the union had exercised patience, government inaction might force lecturers to embark on another strike.
“As always, it is the FGN that has consistently pushed our union into strike actions. It is clear that ASUU may have no other option than to take this step to press the government to listen to our demands and do the needful,” he said.
Piwuna rejected the government’s proposed tertiary institutions staff support fund loan scheme, describing it as exploitative.
“Our members do not need loans. What we need is the implementation of agreements that will improve our purchasing power. Government is still owing us three months’ salaries, yet they are asking us to borrow money,” he stressed.
ASUU also criticised the unchecked proliferation of universities, arguing that it had overstretched limited resources and further lowered the quality and global ranking of Nigerian institutions.
On pensions, the union lamented that many retired professors who had served for more than four decades now receive as little as ₦150,000 monthly, despite soaring inflation and the high cost of living.
The union said it would wait for the outcome of a government meeting scheduled for August 28 before deciding on its next line of action. In the meantime, it announced plans to stage rallies across campuses nationwide next week to register its grievances.
“Time is running out. We cannot continue to wait endlessly while the future of Nigerian universities is destroyed,” Piwuna warned.
The latest standoff has rekindled fears of another prolonged ASUU strike, which could further destabilise Nigeria’s fragile education system. Previous nationwide strikes by the union have disrupted academic calendars, delayed graduations, and deepened uncertainty for millions of students.
Observers say the coming days will determine whether government intervention can avert another shutdown of public universities, or whether Nigeria’s tertiary education sector will once again be plunged into crisis.
