Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) chapter, have threatened to initiate a strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to address their concerns. This threat was issued on Thursday, June 27, following a peaceful march within the institution to protest the government’s non-compliance with an agreement reached with the union.
During the march, ASUU-UNN members displayed placards with messages such as “Government, stop pushing ASUU to strike,” “Government, uphold agreements with ASUU,” “Government, safeguard university education in Nigeria,” and “Nigerian lecturers are among the lowest paid globally,” among others.
They called on the government to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with the union. If their demands are not met within the 21-day ultimatum, they pledged to support the national leadership’s call for a nationwide indefinite strike.
Comrade Oyibo Eze, Chairman of ASUU-UNN, representing the union during discussions with UNN management, criticized the Nigerian government as insincere and unjust. He asserted that despite exhausting all diplomatic and political avenues, the government only responds to strikes.
Eze alleged that despite promises made by President Bola Tinubu during his campaign to resolve ASUU’s grievances upon assuming office, no action has been taken. He further accused the government of ignoring multiple grievances submitted since Tinubu’s assumption of office.
Meanwhile, Professor Johnson Urama, Deputy Vice Chancellor of UNN, commended ASUU members for peacefully expressing their dissatisfaction through legitimate protests. He expressed hope that the federal government would swiftly address the issues to prevent disruptions in tertiary academic activities.
