The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is set to hold a crucial National Executive Council (NEC) meeting today, Tuesday, to review its ongoing strike and determine its next steps. The meeting follows the government’s latest negotiation effort, which included new offers presented by the Renegotiation Team led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

According to ASUU’s strike bulletin released on Monday, progress has been made in a few areas — including the release of third-party deductions, promotion arrears, and the mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). The union also noted improvements in cases of victimization of its members at KSU, LASU, and FUTO, as well as in the land dispute involving the University of Abuja.

However, despite these developments, reports from various university branches — including UNIBEN, UNN, and UNIZIK — indicate that many lecturers have voted to continue the strike. One ASUU official told DAILY POST that the nationwide congresses held Monday were a prelude to the NEC meeting, where the union’s final position will be made official. “Almost everyone supports the continuation of the strike,” he said, adding that a referendum will follow the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to meet ASUU’s demands or face a nationwide strike. NLC President Joe Ajaero made this known during a press briefing in Abuja, emphasizing that the delay in implementing the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement and other unresolved issues had dragged on for too long.

Public affairs analyst Nduka Odo of Peaceland University, Enugu, blamed the crisis on the government’s lack of commitment to education. He described the strike as a result of “decades of neglect,” saying lecturers have been underpaid and undervalued. Odo urged the government to treat education as a national emergency, pay outstanding entitlements, and prioritize the welfare of lecturers. “You can’t despise intellectuals and still hope to build a progressive nation,” he warned.