ASUU Strike 2017 Update
See the Timeline below;
Monday 21-Aug-2017 – ASUU Leaders Meet To Discuss FG’s Offer
The Academic Staff Union of Universities will meet today to deliberate on the offers made by the Federal Government last Thursday in Abuja.
It was gathered that meeting will be on zonal levels nationwide, where the members would
determine whether to accept the offers made to them or not.
According to the Chairman, UNIAbuja chapter of ASUU, Dr. Ben Ugheoke, the union would hold a crucial meeting on the labor action.
He explained that after the zonal meetings, the decisions would then be communicated to the national executive council of the union which would take a final position on the issues
Friday 18-Aug-2017 – ASUU-FG Meeting Deadlocked, Strike May Be Called-Off By Next Week
The Federal Government’s efforts towards getting the the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)to call off its nationwide strike failed on Thursday as both parties did not agree on some issues.
According to a source who was present at the meeting, the Federal Government promised to honor all of ASUU’s requests except the one regarding the TSA.
It was gathered that the government admitted wrongdoing and appealed to the lecturers to call off the strike immediately, but the appeal was rejected by ASUU leaders, who pleaded for time to meet their members because of the TSA.
The Minister of Labor, Dr. Chris Ngige stated after the meeting that the government was expecting feedback from ASUU on the overtures made to it, adding that the union promised to return to the negotiation table within one week with hope of finally calling of the strike.
Wednesday 16-Aug-2017 – ASUU Strike May End In Two Days – Minister Of Education
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, yesterday said that the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), may end in two days.
He disclosed this during an interview with newsmen. According to him, the present administration has a policy of engaging unions, including ASUU.
“I hope and believe that this would be a one or two days strike. We have a policy of engaging the unions, including ASUU and I think now we are very serious.
“This is the first time in two years that ASUU is declaring a strike,” Adamu said.
It was also learnt that the Minister also held a closed-door meeting with the leader of the Federal Government Renegotiation Team, Dr. B. O Babalakin (SAN).
Babalakin had in January, inaugurated the 16-member team to renegotiate the 2009 agreement between the FG and ASUU .
Wednesday 16-Aug-2017 - Nigerian Federal Government described the strike action embarked upon by ASUU is totally unnecessary.
The office of the presidency has described the strike action embarked upon by ASUU is totally unnecessary.
This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu in an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily yesterday..
According to him, the amount of money being demanded by the union was unrealizable.
He mentioned that the leaders of ASUU were aware of the fact that the current administration inherited the agreements based on which the industrial action was declared.
He said ASUU was also aware that the Federal Government had set up a committee on the matter.
Shehu stated that the current administration might not be able to meet the huge financial obligation the striking lecturers were demanding since the #850bn debt was more than the total allocation to the Ministry of Education in the 2017 Budget, which he put at #369bn.
“We have inherited these agreements and we are not running away from them. Government has set up a committee led by (Dr Wale) Babalakin. They are already sitting. Why didn’t they sit down and negotiate?
“This strike is totally unnecessary. The issues can be resolved, especially where we have full understanding of where we are coming from. The governments that signed those agreements did not deem it fit to implement because the capacity was not there.
“If they are ready, they can sit down and discuss with the committee that has capable and qualified people as members.
“They want all the problems to go with a wave of the hand. They want all the answers to all their problems at a go. There is an avenue that the government has opened for them for dialogue and it is not closed yet.”
Tuesday – 14-Aug-2017 – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action.
This followed an extensive deliberation that lasted for three days.
All members of the union have been directed against going to teach or involving themselves in any academic activity.
A document titled “Strike Bulletin No.1”, which was signed and issued by Ogunyemi, ASUU said the strike action was to be a total, comprehensive and indefinite action whereby no form of academic activities including teaching, attendance of any meeting, conduct and supervision of any examination at any level, supervision of project or thesis at any level should take place at any of the nation’s universities.
According to the document, all means of negotiation had been exploited before the decision on an indefinite strike action was reached.
The lecturers have complained of poor funding of universities, part-payment of salaries of lecturers, non payment of earned allowances among others.
What is ASUU strike ?
This is a very interesting question. ASUU strike is simply a strategy used by the Nigerian University Lecturers to express their grievances to the government due to low funding of the University system. They usually boycott lectures and other academic activities including teaching, attendance of any meeting, conduct and supervision of any examination at any level, supervision of project or thesis at any level should take place at any of the nation’s universities.pending when the government will meet their demands.