FG not serious, says ASUU, as lecturers extend strike by 12 weeks

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has extended its ongoing warning strike by 12 weeks.

The association was said to have agreed that the Federal Government was not disposed towards granting the requests of the lecturers.

Members of the National Executive Council ASUU held a crucial meeting in Abuja between Sunday night and Monday morning over the12-week strike.

Sources told our correspondent that the strike had been extended.

One of them said, “We have no reason to suspend the strike. The Federal Government is not serious.”

Also, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in a statement on Monday said, the decision was to allow the Federal Government to satisfactorily resolve all the demands of the union.

Recall that ASUU had on February 14 commenced a warning strike to press home the implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed in December 2020 on funding for the revitalisation of public universities.

Other demands are Earned Academic Allowances, renegotiation of the 2009 agreement and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, among others.

Don’t forget that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, had on Friday stated that the Federal Government and ASUU would resume negotiation this week.

Ngige said, “We don’t have to cry over spilt milk. Let us look at your issues to see the ones we can handle immediately, the ones we can do in the medium term and the ones we can do in the long term.

“There are certain ones that are over and above me that are not in my hands to do.”