Too Little, Too Late” – ASUU Blasts FG Over Delayed Appeal To Suspend Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s last-minute appeal to halt its proposed warning strike, describing the intervention as “a little too late.”....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, accusing the government of failing to respond to the union’s demands with urgency.

“The problem with this government and the Ministry of Education is their slow response to our concerns,” Piwuna said.

He recalled that the union had previously given the government a three-week deadline following a meeting in Sokoto, but no communication or follow-up was received within that period.

“We met in Sokoto when we were preparing for strike action. They granted us three weeks, which we accepted, but we did not hear a word from them during that time—not even a courtesy message saying, ‘We may not meet within three weeks.’ Nothing. It was only after we threatened action that we heard from them,” he explained.

According to Piwuna, it was only two working days before the planned strike that the government reached out, requesting the union to suspend the action.

“Yesterday, they appealed to us not to go on strike. Our 2009 agreement, which has been under renegotiation for eight years, remains unresolved. Two working days before a strike, you come to appeal to us? I think it’s a little too late,” he added.

The ASUU President stressed that members would proceed with the planned warning strike once the current ultimatum expires on Sunday unless the government presents concrete solutions.

“Their ultimatum ends on Sunday. After that, there will be a warning strike unless the government provides tangible results. Within the next 48 hours, we expect something substantial from them. Then we can report back to our members to decide whether to hold off or proceed,” Piwuna said.

ASUU had earlier instructed branches nationwide to prepare for a two-week warning strike, expected to begin on October 13.

The latest impasse adds to a long history of disputes over university funding, lecturers’ welfare, and the unresolved 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated on Wednesday that the government is in the final stages of negotiations with ASUU and other university unions to find a lasting resolution to the ongoing tertiary education crisis.