The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted that its members would embark on strike after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.
The President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, made the comment while addressing journalists yesterday at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, yesterday.
He said the union is embarking on the strike due to issues such as “emergency revitalisation fund of public universities; payment of outstanding earned academic allowances; and release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions of our members.”
According to him, the other issues include “stoppage of illegal recruitments; proliferation of public universities/abuse of universities’ laws, regulations and processes; and removal of universities from the treasury single account and new IPPIS vis-a-vis to herald the autonomy of our universities”.
Osodeke also accused the Bola Tinubu-led government of insincerity in previous negotiations, stressing that the administration seems only interested in arm-twisting the union.
“Our union is worried that Government appears fixated on its self-serving approach of legalistic and bureaucratic arm-twisting,” he stated.
“After extensive deliberations on the foregoing, among others, ASUU-NEC at its last meeting resolved to condemn in strong terms the seeming refusal of Federal and State Governments to decisively address all outstanding issues with ASUU, reject the slow pace of intervention by the Minister for Education in resolving the aforementioned issues, give the government 21 days ultimatum to address all outstanding issues, and reconvene at the expiration of the 21 days’ notice to take appropriate decision(s) as deemed necessary,” he added.