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ASUU Strike: Latest ASUU Strike News Update Today

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a Nigerian union of university academic staff that uses strike actions to obtain fair wages and university autonomy. ASUU was founded in 1978. Professor Biodun Ogunyemi serves as the body’s President. This is the news about the ASUU strike.

 

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Latest News on ASUU Strike Today

 

 

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Protests Over Lingering ASUU Strike

 

About ASUU

 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a Nigerian union of university academic staff, founded in 1978. Professor Victor Emmanuel Osodeke emerges as the body’s President on May 30, 2021, according to Information provided on Edustuff. The ASUU was formed in 1978, a successor to the Nigerian Association of University Teachers formed in 1965 and covering academic staff in all of the Federal and State Universities in the country.

ASUU Strike

The Union was active in struggles against the military regime during the 1980s. In 1988 the union organized a National Strike to obtain fair wages and university autonomy. As a result, the ASUU was proscribed on 7 August 1988 and all its property seized. It was allowed to resume in 1990, but another strike was again banned on 23 August 1992. However, an agreement was reached on 3 September 1992 that met several of the union’s demands including the right of workers to collective bargaining. The ASUU organized further strikes in 1994 and 1996, protesting against the dismissal of staff by the Sani Abacha military regime.

ASUU strike

ASUU Latest News Today

 

After the return to democracy in 1999 with the Nigerian Fourth Republic, the union continued to be militant in demanding the rights of university workers against opposition by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo. In July 2002 Dr. Oladipo Fashina, the then national president of the union, petitioned Justice Mustapha Akanbi of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate the authorities of the University of Ilorin for financial mismanagement and corruption.

Asuu strike

 

ASUU History

In 2007, the ASUU went on strike for three months. In May 2008, it held two one-week “warning strikes” to press a range of demands, including an improved salary scheme and reinstatement of 49 lecturers who were dismissed many years earlier. In June 2009, ASUU ordered its members in federal and state universities nationwide to proceed on an indefinite strike over disagreements with the Federal Government on an agreement it reached with the union about two and a half years earlier.

Asuu strike update

Asuu strike

After three months of strikes, in October 2009, the union and other staff unions signed a memorandum of understanding with the government and called off the industrial action. On 1 July 2013, ASUU embarked on another strike which lasted 5 months, and 15 days was called off on 16 December 2013. Claims made by ASUU in regards to the strike are centered largely on funding and revitalization of Nigerian public universities as well as a certain earned allowance which it claims to be in an arrears of 92 billion naira. Some Nigerian students said that the strike was a curse to them while others said it was a blessing before the ASUU strike was called.

 

ASUU

ASUU Strike Meeting

While the association continues to claim that it is involved in a struggle for Nigerian tertiary education and Nigerian students by extension, many Nigerians perceive the supposed struggle, marked by incessant strike actions, to be malicious and self-serving. This image has not been helped by ASUU, who still cannot communicate effectively with the Nigerian populace without sounding arrogant and condescending.

 

Nigerians React to the Prolonged ASUU Strike

 

 

As a successor to the Nigerian Association of University Teachers was founded in 1965, ASUU was formed in 1978 to cater to the interests of all academic staff in Federal and State universities in Nigeria.

Although ASUU consists of many universities, there are several other universities that are not under ASUU as the body. These universities include the following and all private universities in Nigeria.

  • Federal University, located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
  • The Federal University of Ilorin, also known as Unilorin.
  • Delta State University, Abraka – popularly known as DELSU

 

ASUU strike chart (1999–2022)

ASUU Strike Historical Data
No Year Strike Duration
1 1999 5 months
2 2001 3 months
3 2002 2 weeks
4 2003 6 months
5 2005 2 weeks
6 2006 3 days
7 2007 3 months
8 2008 1 week
9 2009 4 months
10 2010 5 months
11 2011 59 days
12 2013 5 months
13 2017 1 month
14 2018 3 months
15 2020 9 months
16 2022 February 14, 2022 – present

Origin of incessant strikes

These strikes are in response to the Nigerian Government’s refusal to uphold the agreement signed. It is a move by the union to force the government into a response. However, this has only yielded negative results.

Impact of strikes on students and stakeholders

While the association continues to claim that it is involved in a struggle for Nigerian tertiary education and Nigerian students by extension, many Nigerians perceive the supposed struggle, marked by incessant strike actions, to be malicious and self-serving. This image has not been helped by ASUU, who still cannot communicate effectively with the Nigerian populace without sounding arrogant and condescending.

 

February 14, 2022, ASUU Strike

 

On February 14, university lectures in the country under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared an indefinite nationwide strike after what its leaders described as the failure of the Federal Government to meet its demands.

The declaration of an indefinite strike followed several weeks of warning strikes by the university teachers.

Among the demands of the lecturers is the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, revitalization of public universities through improved funding, and a salary payment system different from the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS) currently used for the payment of federal government workers.

ASUU argues that its demand for a separate salary payment platform is to take care of university environment peculiarities such as the earned allowances, sabbaticals, and contract staff which are not accommodated in IPPIS.

The lecturers are also demanding the renegotiation of the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement.

Broadly speaking, the agreement dealt with university autonomy and academic freedom, condition of service, funding of universities, and other matters.

Part of the agreements on earned academic allowances provides for N15,000 per student for Lecturer I, N20,000 for Senior Lecturer, and N25,000 for Readers and Professors for a maximum of 5 students per annum as postgraduate supervision allowance.

On the funding of the universities to bridge the gap in infrastructure deficiencies in the public universities, the parties agreed that the Federal Government universities required N1.5 trillion between 2009 and 2011.
On the other hand, the funding requirement for the state universities shall require, from the state government, N3.6 million per student over the same period to address its funding challenge.

The agreement states in part that the “basis of the data collected, and their analysis through a rational and scientific procedure, the following funding requirements were projected for a quick and effective remedy of deficiencies in the programs and facilities, and for a systematic upgrading of programs and facilities that would rapidly advance Nigeria’s knowledge production for development”.

ASUU has remained defiant that the agreement must be reviewed in line with its provision for a period review.

A recent effort by the government to woo the union to reconsider its position has hit the brick wall.

Worried by the failure of both the federal ministries of Labour and Education to convince the lecturers, the government set up the Nimi Briggs Committee to intercede.

But again, ASUU remained adamant.

Reacting to a failed parley with the Committee, ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke declared that “They came with nothing.

What they came with is from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission which does not represent anything,”

While accusing the Federal Government of not giving the closure of universities to academic activities the attention it deserves, the ASUU president argued that “if we take education seriously it would not have lasted beyond February (when it started),” said Mr. Osodeke, accusing the government of insensitivity.

On its part, the Federal Government has hit back at ASUU, invoking the no-work-no play creed as a tool to force the striking teachers back to the classrooms.

At a Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team, on Thursday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Education, Mr Adamu Adamu said the Federal Government will not pay salaries for the periods they will stay away from work to deter others who may contemplate similar strike in future.

Taking a cue from his senior colleague, the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Goodluck Opiah, posited: “I think we cannot afford to set the wrong precedents by paying people who stayed at home for six months.

How do we compensate the students for all the days the lectures were at home if we compensate the lecturers by paying them?

If we can answer this question, that will help.

The government’s position, lawyers say, is backed by labor laws, particularly the Trade Union Act of 2005. Section 43(1) (a) of the Act reads: “Where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wage or other remunerations for the period of the strike, and any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment, and all rights dependent on the continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly”.

In a recent media interview, Mr. Yusuf Buhari, a lawyer, said that even if there was no such law, in every employment, there must be an agreement that spells out the terms.

“If you are going on strike, there must be a corresponding right to withhold your salaries.

Such agreements are legal and binding in law,” he said.

Similarly, Another lawyer, Hamid Jimoh in an interview published in a national daily argued that the provisions of sections 43(1)(a) and (b) of the Trade Union Act do not criminalize strikes but establish that the striking workers would not be entitled to pay.

Mrs. Toyin Oluwatobi, a psychologist said that in disputes of this nature, there is the need for both parties to minimize their egos and shift grounds.

According to him, it is important that since it is impossible to meet all ASUU demands, the Federal Government should concede to the areas it can meet immediately in the interest of society.

Oluwatobi’s position is supported by Prof. Noah Yusuf of Industrial Sociology, Peace and Conflict Management Studies, the University of Ilorin who in a study posited that “Like conflicts in other spheres of life, industrial conflict needs to be curtailed so as to prevent its escalation.

This could only be achieved through effective conflict resolution mechanisms.

More importantly, is the need for conflicting parties in industrial organizations to adhere strictly to the statutory provisions of conflict resolution”.

The need for ASUU and FG to immediately resolve their differences through sincere negotiations and compromise is also backed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) stance on “Labour dispute prevention and resolution” in which the international organisation holds that “ grievances and conflicts are an inevitable part of the employment relationship.

The objective of public policy is to manage conflict and promote sound labor relations”.

 

Lingering ASUU Strike, Committee Of VCs Tell Buhari To Intervene

 

 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a union that represents the academic staff of Nigerian public universities. The union has been known for embarking on strike actions to demand better working conditions for its members and improved funding for public universities in Nigeria. The ASUU strike has been a recurring issue in Nigeria, with several strikes occurring over the past three decades. This article will examine the causes of the ASUU strike, its effects on the education system in Nigeria, and possible solutions to the problem.

Background of ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was formed in 1978 as a response to the poor working conditions and remuneration of academic staff in Nigerian public universities. The union’s primary objective is to promote the welfare and interest of its members, as well as to ensure the quality of education in Nigerian universities. ASUU is made up of academic staff from all Nigerian public universities, including professors, lecturers, and researchers.

Over the years, ASUU has embarked on several strike actions to demand better working conditions for its members and improved funding for public universities in Nigeria. The first major ASUU strike occurred in 1988 and lasted for three months. Since then, there have been several other strikes, including the 1992 strike, the 1996 strike, the 2001 strike, the 2009 strike, and the most recent strike, which began in March 2020 and lasted for over nine months.

Causes of ASUU Strike

The ASUU strike is usually caused by a combination of factors, including poor funding of public universities, inadequate infrastructure, poor working conditions, and the non-implementation of agreements reached between the union and the government.

One of the main causes of the ASUU strike is the poor funding of public universities in Nigeria. The Nigerian government is responsible for funding public universities, but over the years, the government has failed to provide adequate funding for these institutions. This has led to a lack of facilities and infrastructure in Nigerian universities, as well as a shortage of academic staff.

Another cause of the ASUU strike is the non-implementation of agreements reached between the union and the government. Over the years, ASUU has reached several agreements with the Nigerian government on issues such as improved funding for public universities, better working conditions for academic staff, and the payment of arrears. However, the government has often failed to implement these agreements, leading to frustration and anger among ASUU members.

In addition, poor working conditions for academic staff in Nigerian universities have also contributed to the ASUU strike. Academic staff in Nigerian universities often work in overcrowded classrooms, with inadequate teaching materials and equipment. They are also often underpaid and do not receive the same benefits as their counterparts in other countries.

Effects of ASUU Strike

The ASUU strike has had a significant impact on the education system in Nigeria. The most immediate effect of the strike is the disruption of academic activities in Nigerian public universities. When ASUU embarks on a strike, academic activities in these institutions are suspended, and students are forced to stay at home. This can have a significant impact on the academic progress of students, particularly those in their final year.

The ASUU strike can also lead to a decline in the quality of education in Nigerian universities. When academic staff are not paid or their working conditions are poor, they are less likely to be motivated to provide quality education to their students. This can lead to a decline in the standard of education in Nigerian universities, which can have long-term implications for the country.

Furthermore, the ASUU strike can also have economic implications for the country. When academic activities are suspended in public universities, students are forced to stay at home, and academic staff are not paid, this can lead to a decline in economic activity in the surrounding communities. Businesses that depend on the university population, such as bookshops, restaurants, and transportation providers, may experience a decline in revenue. This can have a ripple effect on the local economy, leading to job losses and reduced economic growth.

 

Possible Solutions to ASUU Strike

The ASUU strike has been a recurring problem in Nigeria, and it is clear that a lasting solution is needed to prevent future strikes. Some possible solutions to the ASUU strike include:

  1. Increased Funding for Public Universities: The Nigerian government needs to increase funding for public universities to ensure that these institutions have the necessary facilities, infrastructure, and academic staff to provide quality education to students.
  2. Implementation of Agreements: The Nigerian government needs to ensure that it implements agreements reached with ASUU to prevent future strikes. This requires a commitment to honoring agreements, as well as effective communication between the government and the union.
  3. Improved Working Conditions: The Nigerian government needs to improve the working conditions for academic staff in Nigerian universities. This includes providing adequate teaching materials and equipment, as well as better pay and benefits for academic staff.
  4. Diversification of Funding Sources: The Nigerian government needs to explore alternative sources of funding for public universities, such as partnerships with private organizations, alumni donations, and grants from international organizations.
  5. Strengthening of Regulatory Bodies: Regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) need to be strengthened to ensure that they can effectively regulate and monitor the activities of Nigerian universities.

 

The ASUU strike has been a recurring problem in Nigeria for several decades. The strike is usually caused by a combination of factors, including poor funding of public universities, inadequate infrastructure, poor working conditions, and the non-implementation of agreements reached between the union and the government. The ASUU strike has had significant effects on the education system in Nigeria, including the disruption of academic activities, a decline in the quality of education, and economic implications. To prevent future strikes, the Nigerian government needs to increase funding for public universities, implement agreements, improve working conditions, diversify funding sources, and strengthen regulatory bodies.

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