ASUU Declares Two-Week Warning Strike Over Unmet Demands

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a two-week warning strike to protest the federal government’s alleged failure to address its long-standing demands.

ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, made the announcement on Sunday during a press briefing at the union’s national headquarters, University of Abuja. He stated that the strike would begin on October 13 and be observed across all ASUU branches nationwide.

Piwuna explained that the decision followed the government’s persistent delay in fulfilling promises made to the union. He noted that despite recent assurances from the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who urged ASUU to suspend its planned strike and promised that negotiations were nearing completion, the government failed to act in time.

“The problem with this government is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” Piwuna said. “When we were about to embark on strike action, we met in Sokoto and they asked for three weeks, which we granted. During those three weeks, we never heard a word from them until the time elapsed.”

He emphasized that the only way to avert the strike is for the federal government to take immediate and concrete action toward meeting the lecturers’ key demands, which include improved funding for universities, payment of withheld salaries, and the implementation of previous agreements.

ASUU’s latest action raises concerns of another disruption to Nigeria’s public university calendar, which has suffered repeated interruptions in recent years due to recurring industrial disputes.