President Bola Tinubu’s administration had earlier promised to resolve its disagreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) within three weeks, but the deadline will lapse next week without any concrete action taken, Eclat Media has learnt.
Insiders familiar with the talks said the union, though already hinting at a fresh strike, has held off in expectation of government’s intervention.“The Nigerian government assured us that the issues raised by ASUU would be addressed within three weeks, but that timeline runs out this week,” a union source told Eclat Media.
Checks, however, revealed that no official steps have been made by the authorities toward fulfilling that pledge. “We are still waiting for their response and promised resolution, but nothing positive has come up so far,” another source disclosed.
Earlier this month, ASUU warned Nigerians to prepare for another possible shutdown of universities, insisting that the Federal Government must bear full responsibility if a crisis erupts.
The Benin Zone of ASUU, during a press briefing at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, accused the government of insincerity and failure to honour agreements.
Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Monday Igbafen, said university lecturers remain among the most neglected professionals despite their vital role in national development. He stressed that government’s refusal to implement the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, pay promotion arrears, release withheld salaries, and adequately fund the education sector has left the union with little choice but to consider industrial action again.
He reminded Nigerians that ASUU suspended its last strike in October 2022 in good faith, yet most of the commitments made then remain unfulfilled.
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