Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) have warned they may go on strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to address their issues.
On June 27, ASUU-UNN members held a peaceful protest around their campus, demanding the government honor their agreement with the union.
Protesters carried signs saying,
“Government, stop forcing ASUU to strike; government, honor agreements with ASUU; Government, don’t kill university education in Nigeria; Nigerian lecturers are the least paid in the world.”
They urged the government to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with ASUU.
ASUU-UNN members said they would support a nationwide indefinite strike if the government doesn’t meet their demands within 21 days.
ASUU-UNN Chairman Comrade Oyibo Eze accused the Nigerian government of being hypocritical and self-serving, prioritizing personal gain over public welfare.
Eze said,
“We’ve tried all diplomatic and political means to resolve this, but the only language the Nigerian government understands is strike.”
Since 2009, attempts to renegotiate the agreement with the government have failed. President Bola Tinubu promised to end the ASUU strike during his campaign but has not acted on his promises since taking office.
ASUU-UNN has sent their grievances to the government multiple times without receiving any response.
Eze criticized the government for taking large sums of money while failing to adequately compensate civil servants.
UNN Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Johnson Urama praised the union members for their peaceful protest and hoped the government would act quickly to prevent an ASUU strike that would disrupt academic activities.
