By Francesca Hangeior

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Nsukka Zone, has raised concerns over the Federal Government’s failure to address the issues that have plagued the nation’s university system, warning that another strike may be imminent if the situation persists.

Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Nsukka Zone, Raphael Amokaha, made this known in a statement issued in Makurdi on Wednesday.

According to him, the Union’s decision to hold off on industrial action since the suspension of the 2022 strike was a display of patriotism and selflessness.

However, the Federal Government’s continuous neglect of the education sector is now pushing ASUU towards considering another strike.

“The Union has bent backwards to avoid industrial disharmony in our public universities by seeking an amicable resolution of the issues in contention,” Amokaha said.

Reflecting on the circumstances that led to the 2022 strike, Amokaha recounted how the Union had been left with no choice after the government brushed aside a negotiated agreement and instead imposed a “take it or leave it” offer.

He added that despite years of negotiations, little progress has been made in addressing the core issues affecting Nigerian universities.

“We were forced into the 2022 strike by the government. What option was available to our union at that time? We had negotiated a reviewed agreement over five years (2017-2022) under three government-appointed negotiation chairmen, yet the government dismissed it and offered a unilateral award,” he explained.

The ASUU zonal coordinator also lamented the continued deterioration of the nation’s universities, stating that nothing has changed for the institutions or their staff in the past fifteen years.

“All efforts by our Union to halt the decay and revitalize our universities have been frustrated by the government. Efforts to improve the welfare of our members have equally been blocked,” he added.

Amokaha highlighted that university workers remain the only group of employees in Nigeria that have not had a salary review in over fifteen years.

“We have consistently held press conferences, staged protests, and organized town hall meetings to avoid strikes and impress upon the government the need to act. Unfortunately, all these efforts have been futile,” he lamented.

He warned that unless the Federal Government is sincere in its discussions with ASUU and takes immediate steps to resolve the lingering issues, the Union may have no option but to embark on another strike.

Among the key demands, according to Amokaha, are the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft, the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 strike action, and the payment of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

Other demands include the release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions, funding for the revitalization of public universities as captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, payment of Earned Academic Allowances, and addressing the proliferation of universities by Federal and State Governments.

“The ball is now in the government’s court. If we go on strike, the blame lies squarely with the Federal Government,” Amokaha concluded.