By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised an alarm over what it described as the Federal Government’s deliberate foot-dragging and piecemeal handling of long-standing issues affecting public universities, warning that another round of industrial strike action may be inevitable if urgent steps are not taken.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday at the University of Ibadan ASUU Secretariat in Ibadan, the Zonal Coordinator, Professor Biodun Olaniran, said the relative peace in Nigerian universities in recent months was largely due to the union’s patience and expectation that the government would honour its promises. However, he noted that no meaningful progress had been recorded.
The union highlighted several outstanding demands, including the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding and revitalisation of universities, restoration of university autonomy, payment of withheld salaries, arrears of promotions, and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).
Olaniran lamented that despite a draft agreement reached in 2021 with the government’s own renegotiation committee, authorities have refused to sign and implement the document.
