*Issues 14-day ultimatum to FG to address all unresolved issues affecting varsities
*Laments over what it described as FG’s consistent neglect of public universities
*Regrets that efforts to draw FG’s attention to union’s plight yielded not meaningful results
*Warns that if govt fails, ASUU will embark on 2 weeks warning strike before indefinite shutdown
By Ngozi Nwankwo
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address all the unresolved issues affecting the nation’s universities or face strike action.
The union gave the warning in a statement issued at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held at the University of Abuja Sunday.
ASUU in the statement lamented over what it described as the government’s consistent neglect of public universities and the welfare of academic staff.
The ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, who signed the statement, recalled that the union had, in August, staged rallies across federal and state universities to draw attention to the plight of the system but lamented that the efforts yielded no meaningful response from the government.
According to him, if the federal government fails to act within the ultimatum, ASUU will first embark on a two-week warning strike, after which it may proceed on a total and indefinite shutdown of universities nationwide.
The union listed its demands to include: Renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement; Sustainable funding of universities; Revitalisation of public universities and an end to the victimisation of its members at LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.
Others are: Payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears; Resolution of delayed promotion arrears spanning over four years and settlement of outstanding third-party deductions.
