The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: Asuu

  • Alausa Directs Universities To Complete Four-Year Courses Within Four Years

    Alausa Directs Universities To Complete Four-Year Courses Within Four Years

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    The Federal Government has directed tertiary institutions to ensure that four-year degree programmes are completed within the stipulated period, as it moves to strengthen monitoring of agreements with staff unions to prevent strikes.

    The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, gave the directive on Tuesday in Abuja during the unveiling of the 2026 agreements between the Federal Government and unions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

    Alausa said the agreements were designed to fulfil President Bola Tinubu’s promise that students should complete four-year courses within four years.

    “Today, through his leadership, these agreements give practical expression to that pledge: A promise made, a promise kept, and trust restored,” the minister said.

    He said the government was determined to address recurring disputes over the implementation of agreements with unions, which have disrupted academic calendars and delayed students’ graduation.

    As part of the measures, Alausa announced plans to expand the existing Implementation and Monitoring Committee, initially established to oversee the agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, to cover academic and non-academic unions across tertiary institutions.

    The proposed expanded committee will monitor implementation, track agreed milestones, identify challenges and issue periodic reports to promote accountability.

    According to the minister, the arrangement will help resolve disagreements at an early stage before they escalate into industrial disputes capable of disrupting academic activities.

    He urged union leaders to use the committee to address complaints rather than resort to public confrontations or threats of strikes.

    “We must strengthen early consultation and resolve differences through constructive dialogue, mutual respect and good-faith engagement,” he said, adding that students and their families must remain central to the process.

    Alausa also disclosed that the agreements provide for reviews every three years, allowing the government and unions to revisit emerging issues and consider mutually agreed adjustments.

    Meanwhile, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Shammah Kpanja, described the negotiation process as the fastest in the union’s history.

    Kpanja said negotiations began in December 2025 and resulted in the signing of the agreement in April 2026.

    He disclosed that implementation had started, with members receiving outstanding arrears between July and September, but called on the government to fulfil the remaining provisions.

    The ASUP president also welcomed plans to inaugurate a joint implementation committee, expressing hope that it would speed up the process before the end of the year.

    Similarly, the President of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Lawal Bazza, said more than 70 per cent of the agreement for the subsector had been implemented.

    Bazza expressed confidence that the monitoring committee would help resolve outstanding issues and ensure the full implementation of the agreement.

    The Chairman of the Federal Government Negotiation Team, Yayale Ahmed, had also stressed the need for both parties to honour their commitments, warning against threats of indefinite strikes over unpaid entitlements.

    Ahmed said the success of the agreements would depend on the government’s commitment to implementation and the unions’ willingness to exercise patience.

    He further disclosed that discrepancies had been identified in some parts of the agreements and would be addressed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

  • Soludo Approves FG-ASUU Agreement For Ojukwu Varsity From 2027

    Soludo Approves FG-ASUU Agreement For Ojukwu Varsity From 2027

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has approved the implementation of the 2025 renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities for staff of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, beginning in January 2027.

    The university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Harrison Madubueze, announced the approval in a statement issued on Friday.

    According to Madubueze, the decision was communicated to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kate Omenugha, through the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Peter Onwualu.

    Omenugha expressed appreciation to the governor on behalf of the university management, Senate, staff and students, while also commending the leadership of the institution’s labour unions.

    She described the approval as the fulfilment of assurances previously given by the state government concerning the implementation of the agreement.

    The statement said the implementation had remained elusive under previous administrations, which it accused of failing to fulfil commitments to university staff.

    It added that the decision aligned with Soludo’s education agenda, which seeks to restore teaching as a respected profession by ensuring that educators receive appropriate motivation and rewards.

    The university management said the implementation formed part of broader efforts to improve the institution’s standards and position it as a university of global standing.

    The Federal Government and ASUU reached a renegotiated agreement in 2025 following prolonged disagreements over university funding, lecturers’ welfare and working conditions.

    Although the Federal Government oversees federal universities, state governments are responsible for decisions concerning the implementation of such agreements in their state-owned institutions, including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

  • ASUU Demands Increase in Education Tax from 2.5% to 10%

    ASUU Demands Increase in Education Tax from 2.5% to 10%

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked the federal government to increase the Education Tax from the current 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent to enable Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to mobilise more funds to adequately address the decay and challenges confronting the tertiary education sub-sector.

    This came as the federal government made a public presentation of 50 new textbooks published by Nigerian authors under the sponsorship of TETFund.

    Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who unveiled the textbooks in Abuja, said the publications would end the dominance of foreign academic materials in the nation’s educational institutions.

    ASUU President, Comrade Emmanuel Osodeke, who is attending such public functions in recent times as a result of a lingering face-off with the federal government, described TETFund as a brainchild of the Union.

    While commending the agency for transforming the nation’s higher education sub-sector, Osodoke called for an increase of education tax from the current 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent to enable TETFund to improve its intervention in the tertiary education sub-sector.

    He decried the poor attitude of some big companies and wealthy Nigerians on the payment of education tax, saying there was a need to reposition and expand the education tax net to bring about more resources for tertiary education institutions.

    Adamu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah Opiah, said: “Overtime, Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions became dependent on books published outside the country with the attendant consequences of the herculean processes and unfavourable foreign exchange rate.

    “It is equally worrisome that the quality of most academic publications in our country leaves much to be desired. It is therefore expected that nourishing the culture of quality authorship and the production of indigenous books will not only ensure the availability of relevant books in the diverse subject areas taking cognisance of our local environment and sensitivities but will also safeguard national pride and reduce the demand for foreign exchange.”

    The minister, who commended TETFund for the publications, challenged the agency and authors to also produce books in the nation’s indigenous languages.

    “I also charge TETFund and the academia to go beyond publishing in the English Language to promoting authorship in our local languages in line with the recently approved National Language Policy,” he said.

    On his part, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, commended the authors, TETFund’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and others for the publication of the 50 new textbooks.

    “TETFund is committed to doing this. TETFund has set a minimum target of 50 textbooks per year. I am sure that TAG will also surpass our expectations,” Echono said.

    The TETFund boss also assured that the newly published books would be distributed to tertiary institutions’ libraries at no cost.

    “All the books we have published so far, the initial publications are going to be distributed to the libraries of our tertiary institutions free of charge. It is the subsequent publications that students will be buying or other researchers will buy.

    “We are also going to help them because the ministry has established an education cloud, we are digitising our thesis and records, and through that ecosystem, you are going to have digital copies of these materials. All we are going to do now is to ensure we will protect the authors’ intellectual property rights and once that is done, they are going to be available on the internet,” Echono said.

    On the ASUU President’s clamour for a 10 per cent education tax, Echono said: “I am aware the current administration has done a lot in this regard. Mr. President in just two years has taken two bold steps, I know there is a degree of pushback from industries, from NECA about the issue of multiple taxations and the difficult operating environment, but seeing how important education is to national development, this President on two occasions; last year it was increased from 2 to 2.5 per cent and in the current Finance Bill, Mr. President has ensured that it is increased to 3 per cent.

    “I don’t want to preempt until it is signed, but that shows the commitment of the President that wants to leave a legacy.

    “Everyone knows that what is happening in most tertiary institutions is through the instrumentality of TETFund so increasing TETFund funding will go a long way in achieving that, whether we can go to 10 per cent currently is a conversation that will be held somewhere else.”

    (This Day)

  • Students plead with ASUU not to resume strike till after exams

    Students plead with ASUU not to resume strike till after exams

    Students of Federal University Lokoja (FUL) on Monday pleaded with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) not to resume its strike until after their second semester exams.

    The students’ plea came on the heels of ASUU’s Congress meeting on Monday, deliberating on Federal Government’s alleged failure to pay its members’ salaries after resuming work on October 14 from its eight months strike.

    A cross section of the students, who made the plea while speaking with NAN in Lokoja, said it would be disastrous if their exams scheduled to commence on November 14 would not hold.

    Miss Joy Abuh, a Political Science student, said her prayer was that Monday’s ASUU congress would not end up with resumption of the suspended strike.

    “We have just settled down after the strike suspension and seriously preparing for our second semester exams starting next Monday.

    “It will be disastrous for us in FUL if the exams will not hold as scheduled, considering the eight months we have wasted at home.

    “My fervent prayer is that the union will not declare any strike at the end of their meeting today in Abuja,” she said.

    Another student, Adeiza Ibrahim, with Department of Education, lamented the effects of any further strike on the Nigerian students and called for a rethink from ASUU to allow academic activities continue while they settled their differences with the government.

    “I think much damage has been done to the nation’s education system and there should be due consideration for a turn of new leaf because we’re talking about the our future, the youths of this country.

    “If at the end, we won’t be allowed to write this semester exams, then it will be so terrible and devastating,” Ibrahim asserted.

    Apeyemi Abubakar, a 100 Level student of Chemistry Education said, “all we are begging for is for ASUU to allow us write this examination without any hindrance”.

    “We have stayed home longer than necessary and now that we are back in campus, the Federal Government and ASUU should not allow anything to tamper with our educational pursuits anymore, ” she begged.

    ASUU reacts

    But Dr Joshua Silas, FUL ASUU Chairman, said, “we have no power of our own as a chapter to disobey our national body if it asks us to resume strike today, November 7.

    “As I speak with you, I am already in Abuja for ASUU’s Congress meeting holding today. Everything will rest on the outcome of the congress.

    He said if eventually they resumed the strike after today’s congress, “I will indeed sympathise with our students, whose time table for the second semester exams is out and commencing Monday, Nov 14 with all things being equal,” Silas said.

    (NAN)

  • BREAKING NEWS: ASUU finally calls off 8-month old strike

    BREAKING NEWS: ASUU finally calls off 8-month old strike

    At last, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its eight-month-old industrial action conditionally, paving way for immediate resumption of academic activities.

    The decision was taken in the early hours of Friday during a meeting of its leadership that began on Thursday night.

    The meeting was called by the union to determine its next line of action after its state branches met over the Court of Appeal ruling last week.

    The Court of Appeal had ordered ASUU to suspend the strike before its appeal of the ruling ordering lecturers to resume work can be heard.

    Members of the union’s National Executive Committee, which comprises the chairmen of the state chapters and members of the national executive, attended the meeting at the ASUU National Secretariat in Abuja.

    ASUU has been on strike since February 14 this year

    (Sun)

  • ASUU sustaining strike with lies, blackmail, threat, FG spent N421.27bn on varsities — Presidency officials

    Accusing ASUÛ leaders of sustaining the on-going strike by blackmail, threat and feeding members with lies about government’s efforts at resolving the industrial action, some Presidency officials told Vanguard that the Federal Government has implemented five out of the seven issues on the Memorandum of Action, MoA, it signed with the leaders of ASUU in December 2020 and has paid not less than N92.27billion as Earned Academic Allowances, EAA, among others to ASUU members before embarked on strike.

    This is different from the N304 billion from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund TETFUND for 2021 and first quarter of 2022.

    According to them, “the universities received N25 billion for all their staff in May 2022 arising from the consequential adjustment of the 2019 minimum wage. What this means is that every staff of the Federal Government was given 10 per cent increase as against what he or she was earning before the new minimum wage.”

    One of the officials said: “The Federal Government paid ASUU N40 billion EAA as Earned Allowance in January/February 2021 for 2020. The government also paid N22.27 billion for 2021 mainstreamed into 2021 budget as promised to ASUU in the MoA. Similarly, N30 billion was paid in June 2021 for Revitalisation as contained in the MoA, amounting to about N92.27billion.

    “On the issue of ASUU’s University Transparency Accountability Solution, UTAS, as against the Federal Government’s Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS, UTAS, has been tested since 2021. While it passed USER Acceptance, it failed Integrity test. That is, it did not pass vulnerability test against hackers, stress and traffic usage/ accommodation.

    “You are aware that the other unions in the university system, especially the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, said they developed their own payment platform which they call University Peculiar Payroll and Payment System, U3PS or UPPPS. NASU and SSANU have vowed that even if UTAS is 100 percent perfect, their members would not key into it. How do you describe that? It is total confusion.

    “Nevertheless, as part of efforts to resolve the issue, further tests on UTAS and UPPPS, even, the IPPIS are ongoing at the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA. But ASUU’s insistence on the usage of UTAS whether good or bad shows how they want the matter to remain unresolved. As part of the implementation of the MoA, on the visitation panels to the universities, it has been done. The panel’s work has been concluded and its gazette will be released anytime.

    “On the issue of renegotiation of 2009 agreement, another official informed that “it was actually renegotiated in 2013/ 2014 and to be reviewed every five years. The Wale Babalakin committee started the renegotiation in 2018 and left it later for Professor Munzali. Because its proposal in 2021 was not processed in the Federal Ministry of Education until October 2021, a new committee was set up headed by Professor Nimi Briggs.

    Unfortunately, the committee also decided not to work with the appropriate Federal Government agencies like the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office, National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission, Office of Head Civil Service of the Federation and Ministry of Labour and Employment that fix and recommend salaries and wages and public service Conditions of Service as proposal to the Federal Ministry of Education and Presidential Committee on Salaries and Wages.

    “However, ASUU went back to tell its members that an agreement has been drawn up. This is in bad faith as any such agreement is guided by capacity and ability to pay. The proposal’s financial implications as it affects the 44,377 lectures with about 7,000 professors when you include other staff in the universities comes to about one trillion Naira a month. The Presidential committee on Salaries chaired by the Minister of Finance as we speak is still working on a template to accommodate all in the Education sector including Polytechnics and colleges of Education.”

    Lamenting, one of the sources, said: “ASUU’s habit is to intimidate everybody. Because UTAS failed integrity test, they said the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Patami ‘s Professorship should be withdrawn, accusing him of asking NITDA to fail UTAS. They also threatened to withdraw the certificate of the Director-General of NITDA from ABU. At the negotiation table, they used threat which is against ILO principles of Collective Bargaining.

    They have been feeding their members with lies. As a union, you must conform to the tenets of unionism. The Labour law says once a matter has been apprehended by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, you go back to work. Go and check Section Eight of the Trade Dispute Act. It is there.”

    (Vanguard)

  • FG to ASUU: Buhari doesn’t sign collective bargaining agreement

    FG to ASUU: Buhari doesn’t sign collective bargaining agreement

    The Federal Government has stated that there is no Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between it and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which currently awaits signing by the President.

    A statement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, signed by the Deputy Director Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Olajide Oshundun, said even when such agreement is produced between unions and the Federal Government, it is not the president that signs but by the government side, MDAs led by the direct employer with the concillliating ministry witnessing.

    “This clarification has become necessary in view of the deluge of deliberate misinformation being dished out to Nigerians by the President of ASUU, Prof. Osodeke as well as his branch leaders, calling on President Buhari to sign an agreement which they claimed to have reached with the Federal Government.

    “We wish therefore to inform Nigerians that there is no such Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) that has been reached between the Federal Government, ASUU and other university unions on the renegotiation of their salaries and allowances(wages). What is in existence is a proposal. Even when such CBA is made , it is not the President that signs it. From available records, no Nigerian President or sovereign signs such

    “The true position is that Nigerians are aware that ASUU has been on strike since February 14, 2022 and locked in negotiations on their demand , especially of their conditions of service – wages , salaries, allowances and other public service matters, that should be guided by relevant Federal Government Ministries and agencies – Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Budget office of the Federation , National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Office of Head of Service of the Federation, through the newly set up Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee.”

    (Sun)

  • Strike: ASUU hits back at Buhari

    Strike: ASUU hits back at Buhari

    Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday, mocked President Muhammadu Buhari over his enough is enough comment and description of ongoing five-month-old strike as inimical to future generation of Nigerians.

    The union claimed the president’s statement was not only comical but a clear sign of leadership failure claiming the Federal Government had reduced public universities to glorified secondary schools.

    In a statement addressed to President Buhari entitled: “Mr President Sir: When and why Enough cannot be Enough”signed by ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Lagos, Dr. Adelaja Odukoya, the union taunted the President for waking up from his slumber to the reality that the strike had grounded public universities and taken a toll on parents, students and other stakeholders in the sector.

    ASUU accused the Buhari’s administration of constantly resorting to window-dressing and buck-passing saying the inability to rise up to occasion and resolve issues was affecting the country, particularly the education sector.

    “Your Excellency, your position is to be on top of issues and solve national problems no matter how tough the situation instead of hopeless lamentation and sermonising.”

    ASUU said its ongoing industrial action was occasioned by the insensitivity, nonchalant disposition, ineptitude and indifference to the fate of public university education in the country under his leadership.

    The union said other sister unions in the nation’s public university system and unions in other tertiary institutions were on strike for similar reasons, belied and exposed the ridiculous disposition and propaganda to paint ASUU black in the face of the Nigerian public who have seen through the shenanigan, deliberate, systemic and orchestrated agenda of the present government.

    “The fact that the president unfortunately and sadly taken and embraced an attitude of mute indifference and unedifying quietude in the face of calamitous consequences a neglected education sector could foist on generations of Nigerians, including those yet unborn is a clear signpost of leadership failure.”

    The union said the target of the Buhari government was “to undermine and destroy public university education in unpatriotic obedience to the slavish and destructive command of the neo-liberal high command to which the soul of this administration and her forbears seems to be irrevocably sold.

    “Nigerian public university students remain at home while our dear president and his cronies lavish valuable time on partisan party political activities, family egoistic ceremonies and global junketing, and to have finally woken up to address the issue of the national strike in the nation public universities in a season of Eid Adha celebration, season that calls for utmost and supreme sacrifices exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim should elicits both spiritual and popular condemnation.

    “Mr. President sir, for ASUU this strike should not have lasted beyond the first week after it was declared because the issues at stake were neither new nor do they require rocket science to resolve given that there had been Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) and Memorandum of Actions (MOAs) as well as a duly renegotiated ASUU-FGN agreement completed way back 13th May, 2020 before your government which you and your administration neglected and refused to implement and signed.

    “Our Commander –in – Chief, if only your administration has taken the sacred responsibility for education and the future of the Nigerian youth seriously, this latter day unconvincing lamentation without doing anything would have been unnecessary…

    “Therefore Mr. president, saying that enough is enough is mere wishful thinking and will not resolve the present decadence in our universities nor stop the present struggle to reposition our public universities. For the records, Mr. President, enough will not be enough in the struggle to reposition the public university education in Nigeria under this present administration and beyond as long as; the Nigerian public universities are reduced to a glorified secondary schools for the production of poor quality and globally uncompetitive, rejected and unemployable graduates and Nigerian academics remain one of the poorest paid scholars not only in Africa but the world.”

    Odukoya reminded the president that enough would not be enough until he does the needful and act presidentially by signing the renegotiated agreement before him, authorize the end to the use of IPPIS and the adoption of University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS) and payment of outstanding allowances.

    (Sun)

  • ASUU strike enters 140th day, SERAP, others lampoon FG

    The Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project and other education rights groups, such as the Reform Education Nigeria and Education Rights Campaign, have knocked the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over the prolonged shutdown of academic activities in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

    The PUNCH reports that the strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities entered its 140th day on Monday (today), while the strike declared by the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and other Allied Institutions, which began on March 25, 2022 also entered the 68th day today.

    While the National Executive Council of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics is currently meeting in Jigawa State after calling off a two-week warning strike, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union just commenced a two-month strike.

    In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, noted that the government’s failure to meet ASUU’s demands, implement the agreement it had with the union and satisfactorily resolve the issues, has kept poor Nigerian children at home while the children of the country’s politicians attend private schools.

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    Oluwadare said, “Inequalities in education have a rolling effect, leading to even more and continued inequalities in the future.

    “Apart from being a right in itself, the right to education is also an enabling right. Education creates the voice through which rights can be claimed and protected, and without education, people lack the capacity to achieve valuable functioning as part of the living.

    “If people have access to education, they can develop the skills, capacity and confidence to secure other rights. Education gives people the ability to access information detailing the range of rights that they hold together with the government’s obligations.”

    Speaking in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, the Programme Director, Reform Education Nigeria, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, faulted the silence of critical stakeholders on the academic shutdown.

    Oluwatoyin said, “It is saddening that the government has continued to allow negotiations to linger with no concrete end in sight. The Presidency must, as a matter of urgency, take over the negotiations with the unions.”

    Also, the co-Convener, Education Rights Campaign, Michael Lenin, said, “The blame for these strike actions that have grounded tertiary education must be placed at the door-step of the government.

    “It is quite unprecedented that all the major unions in the tertiary education sector are all on strike; however, it shows the level of damage that the negligence of successive governments has done to the educational sector through chronic under-funding.”

    Efforts to get the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who has described himself as the reconciliation minister between the Federal Government and the unions, proved abortive as calls and texts sent to his telephone number on Sunday remained unanswered as of the time of filing this report.

    When contacted, the National President, ASUP, Dr. Anderson Ezeibe, noted that the union’s National Executive Council would commence its meeting on Tuesday.

    “Our NEC is commencing meeting on Tuesday, if we are still not satisfied with the level of implementation of demands so far, a strike may be declared,” he said.

    The National President, ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, could not be immediately reached for comments on Sunday evening.

    Similarly, , the National President, Joint Action Committee of SSANU, NASU and NAAT, Muhammed Ibrahim, did not answer calls and texts sent to his line.

    (Punch)

  • ASUU strike: NLC to hold nation-wide protest

    As part of efforts to push the Federal Government to meet the demands of striking university-based unions, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said it would embark on a one-day national protest.

    NLC decried the lack of progress in the negotiations with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASUU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

    NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, during the opening of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Congress, directed all affiliate unions to issue directives on the planned one-day national protest from next week.

    Universities in the nation have been shutdown for close to five months due to strike by the various institution-based unions over the alleged failure of Federal Government to meet their demands.

    Wabba said: “The strike in the education sector is an eyesore. For now, running into four months, the children of the poor have remained at home. You will recall that the last decision we took was to the extent of writing to Mr. president and we gave a 21-day notice for them to convene a very high-powered meeting to be chaired by the SGS or the Chief of Staff for this issue to be resolved once and for all.

    “That meeting was called but from the reports we have received yesterday (Wednesday) from all the unions in the education sector, ASUU, NASU, SSANU, NAAT, Collages of Education, polytechnics, we have found out that progress has not been made and the timeline of three weeks that was given by that committee for all reports to be turned in and for the government to be able to make decisions that have not taken place.

    “Therefore yesterday (Wednesday), the CWC took note of that and lamented very profusely that we are not going in the right direction, especially in terms of quality education.

    “Today there has been an increase in issues of social vices and this can be traced to the fact that those children have been at home for four months and no progress has been made.

    “Time lost cannot be regained and whatever can be addressed within a shorter time; why should the government allow the situation to actually prolong what we can do today? Why do we need to draw it and address it later?

    “I think there is reluctance in addressing this issue and therefore CWC has decided that there will be a one-day national protest to call the attention of the government to resolve the issue immediately after that the next decision of the CWC will take place. We have also informed all our affiliates and in the next one week we will issue statements to give credence to that decision.”

    (Sun)

  • FG moves to end ASUU, poly lecturers strikes, begins arrears payment

    The Federal Government has commenced the payment of minimum wage arrears, which it owed lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Academic Staff Union of Universities as part of efforts to end ongoing strikes by the unions, The PUNCH has learnt.

    The National President of ASUP, Dr. Anderson Ezeibe, and the Chairman, ASUU FUTMinna, Dr. Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed this in separate interviews with our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday.

    The PUNCH reported that the two unions are currently on strike following the inability of the government to meet their demands including the payment of minimum wage arrears and release of revitalisation funds, among others.

    While ASUU commenced its strike on February 14, 2022, ASUP is currently on an initial two-week warning strike.

    Confirming the payment on Thursday, Ezeibe, however, said that was just the beginning.

    He said, “The government has started responding. They just started paying the salary/minimum wage arrears, the one they have refused to pay.

    “However, that is just one of the demands, so we have not reached anywhere. They have not attended to the others, but I can confirm that people have started receiving alerts of the arrears owed.”

    Also, Bolarin, said, “Some of my members got alert of their minimum wage arrears; their salaries are still pending.”

    Meanwhile, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s management has announced that the school would resume academic activities on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

    A circular which was signed by the Registrar of the school, Kayode Ogunleye, partly read, “Upon the directive of the visitor to the university, the management hereby informs all staff and students that the university will continue its academic activities for the first semester of the 2021/2022 academic session on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

    “The amended academic calendar for the session will soon be made available. Staff and students are hereby enjoined to abide by this directive.”

    Varsity students barricade roads in Ekiti

    The President, National Association of Nigerian Students, Sunday Asefon, on Thursday led university students in Ekiti State to protest continuous closure of public universities in the state over the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU.

    Asefon, who said he joined the protest organised by NANS/ Joint Campus Committee, Ekiti axis to compel the Federal Government to hearken to the striking university teachers’ demands in solidarity, said, “The rally being planned by NANS national body is coming soon. I decided to join this because I am from Ekiti and I have to partake in solidarity.”

    The protest carried out by students from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and Federal University, Oye Ekiti caused discomfort along major roads in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, as the students trekked from the Adebayo area to Fajuyi Park in the heart of the city as they mounted barricades at intervals along Ado – Adebayo – Iworoko Road.

    Asefon, who lamented that the country’s education was being stifled by protracted closure of universities, said, “What we are saying is that we are tired of staying at home. Our students want to return to school.”

    (Punch)

  • ASUU Strike: Chaos as angry students shut highways

    Nigerian students, yesterday, made good their threats to cripple socio-economic actives in the country as they barricaded major highways and obstructed movements in continuation of their protest over ongoing nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    In 2020, the union embarked on a nine-month strike, the longest since 1999 and about two years later on February 14, it went on a four-week warning strike. It declared another eight weeks strike, saying it was giving the government more time to attend to its demands. Upon it expiration, it announced additional 12 weeks roll-over with effect from May 9, to end in August. The students have so far spent three months at home owing to the lecturers’ strike.

    Following the protracted industrial action which has lasted over 90 days, the students had last week released an action plan which include disruption of socio-economic and political activities to force government and the lecturers back to the dialogue table with a view to speedily resolving the disputes and ensure the return to classrooms. Yesterday’s protest forced motorists on major routes linking the South West to the South East and the north to spend several hours while others had to find alternatives routes out of the logjam. Most commuters were forced to trek long distances to their destinations.

    In Ibadan, Oyo State, the protesting students barricaded the highway in front of the University of Ibadan (UI) and hampered free flow of traffic along the busy Ojoo-UI-Molola Road and the road leading from UI to Bodija. The students also went to the entrance of Oyo State Government Secretariat, Ibadan, and prevented vehicular movement.

    Leader of the Ibadan protest, Solomon Emiola, said: “We are here because of ASUU, NASU SSANU strike. We want the Federal Government to use this as the last strike. We want all the strikes to finish. This should be the last strike in the history of Nigerian students.”

    One of the protesting students, Damilola Olubunmi, said: “I am here because we need to tell the Federal Government that students must resume. The strike is not affecting the students alone. It is also affecting our parents. The essence of this is that when the road is blocked, people cannot move and they will trend it for us. Then, the government will know that we protesting.”

    In Ogun, a joint protest by students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye; Tai Solarin University of Education, Science and Technology (TASUED) Ijagun and Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, saw the students block the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.

    Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “#End ASUU strike now#”, “We say no to educational stagnancy”, “We are tired of deadlock meetings” and “Education should not be this difficult” among others, the students blocked the expressway leaving many motorists stranded and travellers trapped.

    Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the state, Damilola Simeon, appealed to the Federal Government to respond urgently to the yearnings of ASUU. He stressed that it was high time the Federal Government and members of ASUU agreed and reach a compromise to end the strike.

    ”We have been clamouring since the commencement of this ASUU strike that something should be done with immediate effect, but both ASUU and the federal government are not listening to us.They have to understand the fact that Nigerian students will always be at the receiving end at the end of the day. Our students are suffering, our students are fed up. This whole issue is getting out of hand. We do not pray that our students end up engaging themselves in criminal activities as we all know that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop,” he said.

    The NANS chairman begged the two parties to do the needful and call off the strike.

    Don Ayomide, President, Student Union Government of TASUED, said the protest was necessary to let both the federal government and ASUU be aware of the plight of Nigerian students.

    Similarly, students of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) also blocked major roads in Akure, the Ondo State capital in protest to the ASUU strike.

    The students who trooped out as early as 6.30am moved in enmass on major roads in the town chanting various solidarity songs.

    The protest caused serious crisis for transporters and commuters as the busy Ilesa-Akure express road was temporarily blocked.

    For hours, transporters plying the busy road were stranded as a result of the protest, just as commercial activities in the affected areas were halted. Some of the roads blocked aside the Ilesa-Akure express road include Benin-Owo road and Orita Obele road among others.

    The students hinged their action on the attitude of the Federal Government on the strike by the university teachers, condemning the attitude of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on the plight of both the university students and teachers.

    While appealing to the Federal Government to accede to the demands of ASUU and other staff unions of university, the students threaten to continue with the protest until the universities are opened for academic work.

    In Benin, Edo State, students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) shut the Federal Secretariat, Benin, stormed the secretariat at Aduwawa area and declared a work free day for workers.

    They cooked at the secretariat and threatened to shut Federal Government offices in the state to press home their demand for the resolution of the ASUU crisis.

    “We have told the workers that today is a free day for them because they can’t be working while we are out of our classes. All the Federal offices would be shut down. We have also written to INEC to let them know that election will not take place in Edo until we return to our classes. The police is here with us to ensure that the protest is not hijackedby hoodlums because the students are peace-loving people,” said Foster Amadin, president, UNIBEN Student Union Government.

    “Education has been taken to an unserious level and the Federal Government is busy with election, forgetting that there are many students at home due to the ASUU strike. We are here today, we have protested at the Airport, Ring Road and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) office. We will keep going round until they find a solution and we go back to our classes,” Amadin said.

    (Sun)