The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on an industrial action if the Federal Government continues not to implement the 2009 agreement reached with the varsity lecturers to cater for their welfare in the country.
ASUU said that the decision was burned out of the worsening conditions in Nigerian universities and the government’s continued neglect of its obligations to the union.
ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, made this declaration during a press conference held in Abuja yesterday.
According to Piwuna, nine critical issues remain unresolved, chief among them being the stalled renegotiation process which has been on hold since 2017.
He also pointed to the continued withholding of salaries from the 2022 strike and unpaid entitlements tied to the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
He criticised the government’s failure to release revitalisation funds and earned academic allowances, noting that earlier promises to inject ₦150 billion into the university system and implement adjusted allowances by 2026 have yet to be honoured.
Dr. Piwuna also highlighted the marginalisation of ASUU members in some state universities, including Kogi State University and Lagos State University, where cases of victimisation, denial of salaries, and job insecurity persist.
On the issue of university autonomy, the ASUU president accused the government of political interference in the selection of university leadership, citing irregularities at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the University of Abuja.
“Our universities are becoming battlegrounds for political and economic interests,” he lamented, adding that such practices threaten the very foundation of higher education in Nigeria.
Calling for a “national rebirth through education,” Piwuna urged the Federal Government to convene a national education summit focused on funding, university autonomy, and academic welfare. He emphasized that without a strong education system, Nigeria’s development goals will remain elusive.
“Education empowers citizens, drives innovation, and instils values. Without it, development is impossible,” he stated.
Reaffirming ASUU’s commitment to the revitalisation of public universities, Piwuna called on patriotic Nigerians and international partners to support the union’s efforts. While maintaining a willingness to engage in dialogue, he warned that ASUU would not tolerate any further erosion of the rights and dignity of its members.
