Former President of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU), Prof. Nasir Isa; President of
ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi; and the Vice President, Prof.
Emmanuel Osodeke, at a news conference on the
state of the nation in Abuja on Monday (14/8/17).
Albert otu/JAU/NAN
Niyi Odebode and Fidelis Soriwei
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has
commenced a nationwide indefinite strike to
protest against the failure of the Federal
Government to implement the terms of the
agreement reached between the union and the
government in 2009 .
The President of ASUU , Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi ,
during a press conference in Abuja on Monday,
said the strike would be comprehensive as
lecturers would withdraw all services including
teaching and attendance of meetings in all the
universities in the country.
Ogunyemi said the decision to embark on the
strike was taken at an emergency meeting of
the National Executive Committee of ASUU on
August 12 , 2017 .
The ASUU president explained that the union
decided to opt for a strike after the Federal
Government failed to implement the 2009
agreement and a Memorandum of
Understanding it signed with ASUU in 2013 ,
among others .
He listed the areas in dispute in the current
industrial action to include funding for the
revitalisation of public universities , earned
academic allowances , the registration of the
Nigerian Universities Pension Management
Company and pension matters , fractionalisation
and non - payment of salaries and the issue of
universities staff schools .
He said , “ On November 16 , 2016 , our union
embarked on a week warning strike to sensitise
stakeholders to the issues in dispute . What
initially appeared like efforts to address the
issues soon fizzled out immediately the action
was suspended on November 22 , 2016 . ASUU
did its best to get the Federal Government in
particular to fulfil its promises through a series
of letters and consultation meetings . However ,
all was to no avail .
“ Meanwhile , our members across the country
were getting increasingly frustrated and
disenchanted . It became evident that their
patience had been tasked beyond reasonable
limit, while government ’ s insensitivity imposed
severe burden on the leadership of the union .
“ Consequently, based on a nationwide
consultation with our members , an emergency
meeting of the National Executive Council of
ASUU rose on Saturday , August 12 , 2017 , with a
resolution to embark on an indefinite strike
action starting from Sunday , August 13 , 2017 .
“ The nationwide action is total and
comprehensive . During the strike , there shall
be no teaching , no examination and no
attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in
any of our branches . ’’
He recalled that the failure of the government
to implement the 2009 agreement resulted in
an indefinite strike in 2011 , 2012 and later
2013 .
He said the strike compelled the government to
sign a MoU with the union on December 11 ,
2013 .
According to him , the MOU was meant to
reinforce implementation of the agreement
reached with the government .
Ogunyemi said the government agreed to
commit N1 . 3tn in six years to the revitalisation
of the university system with a planned annual
release of N229bn , starting with N200bn in
2013 .
He added that the government agreed to open a
dedicated revitalisation account with the
Central Bank of Nigeria and establish a central
committee to monitor the implementation of
the revitalisation of the universities .
The government was also said to have agreed
to pay the outstanding balance of earned
academic allowances after verifying the level of
payment from an initial of N30 bn provided for
the purpose and others .
The ASUU President lamented that the Federal
Government dashed the expectations of the
union as it reneged on fulfilling the agreement
for the annual release of the N200bn for the
revitalisation of the university system .
He said the government had failed to release
N825bn of the funds it signed in the MoU for
the university system .
He lamented that the situation in the state
universities was more pathetic as some state
governments had chosen to establish new
universities instead of funding the existing
ones .
He said the issue of the earned academic
allowances , which was a major aspect of the
2009 agreement and the 2013 MoU , had been
abandoned by the government .
Govt cuts lecturers salaries
The ASUU President said the union was also
irked by the decision of the federal and state
governments to cut the salaries of lecturers in
many of the universities by between 20 and 40
per cent each month.
He observed that the same government had not
tampered with the salaries of public office
holders in the country.
He added that the situation in the state
universities was worse as many of the state
governments had stopped the release of
statutory subventions to their institutions.
Ogunyemi lamented that the political class in
the country was only paying lip service to
addressing the rot in the university system .
He said that unless steps were taken to address
the decadence in the system the fate which
befell the public primary and secondary schools
would befall the universities , which would take
quality university education away from the
reach of the ordinary Nigerian .
FG still negotiating with ASUU – Ministry
The Federal Government , however , said it was
still negotiating with ASUU before it declared a
nationwide strike on Monday.
The Director of Information , Ministry of
Education , Mrs. Chinyere Ihuoma , stated that
the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement was
ongoing.
“ The FGN /ASUU renegotiation of 2009
agreement is ongoing with the government
team under the leadership of Dr Babalakin ,
SAN , ” she said via SMS .
Ihuoma did not respond to further questions on
the slow pace of the negotiation .
‘ Nigerians must force govt to do the right thing’
The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared
support for ASUU ’ s decision to embark on the
indefinite strike .
The General Secretary of the NLC , Dr Peter Ozo -
Eson , in a telephone interview with one of our
correspondents , said all employers , including
the government , had a responsibility to honour
agreements reached with workers .
Ozo - Eson , a former Chief Economist of the NLC ,
who was part of the team that negotiated the
2009 agreement on the side of ASUU , said the
government had refused to implement the
agreement because children of the political
class school abroad .
He called on Nigerians to demand
uninterrupted academic calendar for their
children in Nigerian universities .
He said the organs of the NLC would take a
decision on what support to render to ASUU if
the ongoing strike became prolonged.
He said , “ When an employer enters into a
collective bargaining agreement , it is expected
that both parties will honour the terms of the
agreement . The 2009 agreement was entered
into . Incidentally , I was a member of the
negotiating team.
“ I negotiated that agreement on the ASUU side
and it took a long time for a decision to be
reached . Initially , government backed away ,
then it reconstituted and gave authority to the
Onosode committee and at the end, the
agreement was signed , but government has
failed to fully implement it .
“ In 2013 , when there was a problem, the NLC
had to broker the condition that led to the
signing of the MoU . Government again has
reneged on its own side of the bargain . So
when we say ASUU has gone on strike so many
times , we need to put it in perspective to say
government has consistently failed to honour
its own side of the bargain .
“ They ( government ) do this so brazenly and so
easily because most of their children do not
attend universities here . They are abroad . And
that is where the citizens come in. Citizens must
be able to hold these people accountable by
insisting that their own children have a right to
uninterrupted education too and therefore force
government to do what is correct so that
education can be without interruption . ”
UI PG students ’ exams stalled
The strike forced the University of Ibadan to
stop the examination of postgraduate students
in various faculties in the school.
One of our correspondents learnt that students
in the Department of Psychology were sent out,
while papers scheduled to be written in the
Faculty of the Social Sciences were cancelled .
ASUU members in the school voted to support
the strike at its referendum last week .
In a message sent to the Vice - Chancellor of the
institution , Prof. Idowu Olayinka, by the
Chairman of ASUU in the school, Dr Deji Omole ,
the union said , “ We write to inform you that
the observance of the strike action will include
no teaching , no examination , no supervision ,
no attendance of the statutory meetings of any
kind and other academic matters . Our members
will henceforth withdraw their services till the
end of the strike . ”
UNILAG , LASU to comply
Academic activities at the University of Lagos
unfolded normally on Monday. However , the
UNILAG branch chairman of ASUU , Mr . Adelaja
Odukoya , said the university would comply
with the directive of the national ASUU from
Wednesday .
He said , “ We have to call a congress of our
members and brief them on the directive . We
are having a congress tomorrow (Tuesday ). But
we do not have a choice in the matter . We were
part of the decision to call the strike . ’’
A senior lecturer in the Department of Mass
Communication , Faculty of Social Sciences,
University of Lagos, who did not want to be
identified , said there was no lecture in the
department on Monday.
He said , “ It is not just in the department but
throughout the university . The strike is
effective . ”
At the Lagos State University , our
correspondent observed that many offices and
lecture halls were locked at the Ojo campus ;
only a few students were seen .
Although the development was attributed to the
one - week lecture - free directive of the
management of the university , the LASU ASUU
Chairman , Dr Isaac Oyewumi , however, said
the chapter would “ comply fully with the
directive . ”
He said , “ It is going to be total . I can assure you
that we are going to comply . ’’
Exams continue in OAU
The Chairman of ASUU at the Obafemi
Awolowo University , Ile - Ife , Dr Niyi Sumonu,
said on Monday that it was difficult to say that
the union had joined the nationwide strike .
He said , “ It will be difficult for me to say that
the ASUU has joined the national strike because
examinations are still ongoing on the campus . ”
UNIOSUN suspends exams
The Osun State University has joined the
nationwide strike .
The strike coincided with the commencement of
the second semester examination at the
university , but the lecturers joined the strike
after agreeing to do so at the congress of the
union .
The chairman of ASUU at the university , Dr .
Seye Abiona, could not be reached , but two
lecturers confirmed to our correspondent that
the union had joined the strike .
Strike paralyses Ondo varsities
ASUU members in some varsities in Ondo State
on Monday declared their willingness to join
the strike declared by the national body of the
union .
Academic activities were consequently
paralysed in the Federal University of
Technology , Akure ; and the Adekunle Ajasin
University , Akungba , Akoko, Ondo State .
The ASUU chairman of the AAUA , Dr Sola
Fayose , said the chapter would still call a
congress .
He said , “ It is the tradition of the union for
strike to be declared at the branch level ; we
have yet to declare our own . We will call a
congress tomorrow (Tuesday ).
Similarly , the ASUU chairman of FUTA , Dr Bola
Oniya , said , “ We can’ t go against the directive
of our national secretariat , we will comply
here . ”
UNICAL , CRUTECH join action
ASUU members in the University of Calabar and
the Cross River University of Technology on
Monday joined the nationwide strike .
Some students , however , claimed not to be
aware of the strike .
In UNICAL, some students said they had
lectures early in the day before academic
activities were disrupted .
A 400- level student in the Department of
Environmental Sciences , UNICAL, Mary Akpan ,
urged the Federal Government to address the
union ’ s demands once and for all .
Another 100- level student of CRUTECH, Felix
Udu , said , “ We are already preparing for our
second semester examination before this
sudden stop in academic activities . Nobody
knows when the strike will be called off , ” he
said .
FUT Minna lecturers shun classrooms
The Chairman of ASUU in the Federal
University of Technology Minna , Dr Ndanisa
Mohammed , said lecturers had complied
totally.
Mohammed said that the university had set up
14 monitoring teams to ensure compliance .
He said , “ We not making any demand from the
Federal Government ; rather , we want them to
implement an agreement signed since 2009 and
the Memorandum of Understanding we had
with them since 2013 . ’’
UMYU joins ASUU strike
ASUU members in the Umaru Musa Ya ’ Adua
University ( UMYU), Katsina , on Monday joined
the nationwide indefinite strike .
UMYU ASUU branch Chairman , Mahmud
Abdulsalam , confirmed the development to The
PUNCH .
He said , “ We at UMYU have decided to obey the
directive of our national executive. The strike
will be total . ”
The spokesperson for the university , Fati
Sanda , said she was not aware of the strike .
UNIBEN , AAU to join strike Wednesday
Lecturers at the University of Benin and the
Ambrose Ali University , Ekpoma , in Edo State ,
on Monday said they would join the strike on
Wednesday .
At the UNIBEN, the chapter Chairman of the
union , Prof . Julius Iyasele , said the industrial
action would be implemented on Wednesday .
“ By Wednesday , we will declare the strike
here . We will start our compliance on
Wednesday , ” Iyasele added .
At AAU , it was gathered many students of the
institution had their lectures cancelled on
Monday.
But the chairman of ASUU in the university ,
Prof . Monday Igbafen , said , “ We are part of the
strike . ”
UNIABUJA moves strike till Wednesday
Academic activities are still going on at the
University of Abuja despite the nationwide
strike declared by the ASUU.
It was gathered that the UNIABUJA branch of
ASUU would meet to ratify the decision of the
national executive council of the union before
joining the strike .
The Uniabuja Chairman of ASUU, Dr Ben
Ugheoke , said the academic staff would comply
with the strike .
Ebonyi varsity congress to decide
Normal Academic Activities were in progress on
Monday at the Ebonyi State University (EBSU ) ,
Abakaliki.
At the campuses of the institution in Presco,
Isieke , CASS and the permanent site , students
were seen receiving lectures .
The Chairman of ASUU EBSU , Dr Uche Onwe ,
said ASUU EBSU would hold a congress on
Wednesday on the strike .
ASUU P ’ Harcourt zone to comply
The Coordinator , Port Harcourt Zone , ASUU ,
Prof . Beke Sese , said the zone was in full
agreement with the nationwide strike called by
the national body .
The zone comprises Rivers State University , Port
Harcourt , the Niger Delta University ,
Amassoma , the Federal University , Otuoke , and
the University of Port Harcourt .
Speaking on the telephone , Sese said there
would be no academic activity until the
government met the union’ s demands . ”
But the Chairman , ASUU NDU , Dr Stanley
Ogoun, said the chapter ‘‘ will meet on
Wednesday to declare it formally at the floor of
the congress slated for that day . ’’
It was learnt that ASUU in FUO would meet on
Tuesday to formally join the strike .
EKSU joins ASUU strike
The Ekiti State University , Ado Ekiti , on
Monday joined the ASUU strike .
The second semester examination , which ought
to have commenced two weeks ago was again
put on hold .
Efforts to speak with the ASUU Chairman , Prof .
Olu Olu, proved abortive .
Strike total in UNIUYO
Many lecturers in the University of Uyo , Akwa
Ibom State , have complied with the ASUU
strike .
A lecturer in the Department of Political
Science , Dr Frank Okon , said they voted to
support the strike on Friday.
A student in the Department of Philosophy told
our correspondent that since the school was on
vacation , the impact of the strike might not be
felt so much .
Mixed compliance from Sokoto
Students of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University ,
Sokoto , sat for examinations on Monday despite
the ASUU strike .
However , a source told one of our
correspondents that ASUU UDUS would come
out with a decision on Wednesday .
At the Sokoto State University , there was total
compliance as all academic activities had
stopped.
Dr Attahiru Sifawa, the Chairman of the Sokoto
State University ASUU , said , “ Our chapter
members are in agreement with the directives
from the ASUU national headquarters . ”
At the Federal University Gusau , Zamfara State ,
and the Federal University Birnin Kebbi , Kebbi
State respectively , the directive was of no effect
as academic activities were not interrupted.
It was gathered that ASUU in the two “ baby
universities ” had yet to be fully integrated into
the national body of ASUU.
The ASUU Chairman at Federal University ,
Gusau , Dr Nasiru Anka , told The PUNCH that
lecturers at the university had yet to register
and be recognised by the national ASUU.
The Head , Information and Public Relations
Unit , Federal University Birnin Kebbi , Jamilu
Magaji, said , “ The university is new and our
staff have yet to join any association of that
nature. ”
Kwara shuns ASUU strike
Academic activities continued on Monday in the
University of Ilorin and Kwara State University .
The factional Chairman , ASUU , UNILORIN, Dr
Usman Raheem , whose faction is recognised by
the UNILORIN management , said the branch
did not join the strike as it had not been part of
the national ASUU since 2001 .
He , however, said the branch was in support of
the reason for the strike and urged the Federal
Government to honour the agreement it
reached with the national body of ASUU since
2009 .
Another factional Chairman , ASUU , Dr Kunle
Afolayan , whose faction is recognised by the
national ASUU, said the executive of the branch
would meet on Tuesday (today ) on the srike .
Afolayan said , “ The strike has just been
announced so we are yet to set up the
apparatus to enforce it . It is from tomorrow
( Tuesday ) that branches will meet on the
strike . ”
Also at KWASU , It was observed that not all
the students were on campus as the school
resumed academic activities on Monday.
The factional Chairman of ASUU, KWASU , Dr
Adesola Dauda , whose faction is recognised by
the national body of ASSU , said the branch did
not join the strike as it was still in observer
status .
He said , “ ASUU national is on strike but
KWASU is not on strike because we have just
joined ASUU and by the constitution we have to
observe. ”
The factional Chairman of ASUU, KWASU , Dr .
Issa Abdulraheem , who is recognised by
KWASU management , said the strike was not
being observed and would not hold in the
institution .
Abdulraheem said , “ On Wednesday we are
going to have a congress. One of the things we
are going to discuss is the issue that led to the
national ASUU strike . We will tell members
why we are not joining . ”
ASUU BUK paralyses activities
The strike on Monday paralysed academic
activities at the Bayero University , Kano , as all
the lecture halls were padlocked .
A 400- level student of Accounting Department ,
Samuel Abah , said he attended a lecture from
8 am to 10 am, adding that shortly after the
lecture , the ASUU strike commenced .
According to him , it was shortly followed by
locking of the lecture halls by union officials .
NANS gives FG ultimatum
The National Association of Nigerian Students
has given the Federal Government a 21 - day
ultimatum to meet the demands of ASUU .
NANS , in a statement on Monday by its
President , Chinonso Obasi , said it would
mobilise against children of politicians in
private institutions.
The association said that the strike was caused
by the Federal Government ’ s indifference to the
plight of the lecturers .
According to the group , the breakdown in the
negotiations between the government and the
lecturers shows that political leaders do not
care about university teachers .
It stated , “ The demands of ASUU are reasonable
and touch on the integrity of government .
“ We hereby give the Federal Government 21
days to resolve all outstanding issues with
ASUU . ”
Contributions : Olufemi Atoyebi , Femi Makinde ,
Adelani Adepegba , Folashade Adebayo, Mudiaga
Affe , Simon Utebor, Success Nwogu, Kamarudeen
Ogundele , Samson Folarin , Etim Ekpimah ,
Alexander Okere, Enyioha Opara , Peter Dada , Olaide
Oyelude , Clement Nnachi, Adeniji Olugbemi , Ted
Odogwu and Friday Amobi