By Samuel Adeola
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has handed a fresh warning to the Federal Government, demanding urgent action on the long-delayed 2009 agreement or risk another nationwide strike.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday, ASUU President Chris Piwuna expressed deep frustration over what he described as government neglect of key issues plaguing public universities.
He revealed that the renegotiation process, which started in 2017, has since been abandoned.
Piwuna accused the government of insincerity, pointing to unpaid salaries from the 2022 strike, unresolved issues around the IPPIS platform, and the non-release of revitalisation funds and earned academic allowances.
“Despite repeated promises, including plans to inject ₦150 billion into the sector and settle irregular allowances by 2026, nothing has materialised,” he said.
He also decried the treatment of ASUU members in state universities like Kogi State University and LASU, where lecturers reportedly suffer from victimisation, arbitrary salary deductions, and job insecurity.
On the issue of autonomy, Piwuna criticised rising political interference in university governance, citing cases at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the University of Abuja.
“Education powers a nation’s growth. Without it, no society can thrive,” he stated, calling for a national summit on education to address funding, autonomy, and staff welfare.
While affirming ASUU’s openness to dialogue, Piwuna warned that the union would not sit idle while the rights and dignity of its members are eroded.
