The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s last-minute appeal to suspend its planned two-week warning strike scheduled to commence on October 13, saying the intervention came “a little too late.”
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, accusing the government of neglecting the union’s long-standing demands despite multiple opportunities to intervene.
“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,”
— Prof. Chris Piwuna, ASUU President
According to Piwuna, the union had given the government a three-week window after a meeting in Sokoto to address key issues but received no communication throughout that period.
“They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed,” he said.
Background: ASUU’s Ultimatum and Stalled Negotiations
On September 28, ASUU issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its pending demands or face industrial action. The warning strike, the union said, could escalate into a full-scale shutdown of public universities if unresolved.
Two days ago, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced that the government was in the final stages of dialogue with ASUU and other university-based unions to resolve lingering issues.
Alausa said the talks focused on staff welfare, funding for public universities, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, a recurring source of contention for over a decade.
However, ASUU insists that the government’s outreach was merely reactive.
“Our 2009 agreement, which is still being renegotiated after eight years, remains undone. Two working days before a strike, you come to appeal to us — I think the appeal has come a little too late,” Piwuna stated.
Union to Proceed Unless ‘Substantial Action’ Is Taken
Professor Piwuna disclosed that the union will proceed with the planned warning strike once the ultimatum expires on Sunday, October 12, unless the government makes tangible commitments within the next 48 hours.
“The ultimatum expires on Sunday. After that, there will be a warning strike unless something substantial comes from the government,” he said.
“If we see meaningful progress, we’ll consult our members and decide the next step.”
ASUU maintains that years of unfulfilled promises on salary structures, university autonomy, and funding have eroded trust between the government and the academic community.
“Government Treats Negotiations Like a Game” — ASUU
The ASUU President further accused the Federal Government of handling negotiations unseriously, comparing its engagement tactics to “football dribbling.”
“We have never trusted any government. Governments have never come through with what they promised us. They see our engagement like a football they need to dribble,” Piwuna said.
He added that while the union remains open to dialogue, it requires genuine commitment from the government to restore confidence and prevent further disruption in the nation’s higher education system.
Key Issues at Stake
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Implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement
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Funding for revitalization of public universities
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Improved welfare and salary review for lecturers
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Respect for university autonomy
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Settlement of unpaid academic allowances
What’s Next
The ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) is expected to convene on Sunday night to review any new government offer before deciding whether to proceed with or suspend the planned action.
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