Newsone has compiled the latest ASUU news on the current strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), a Nigerian union of university academic staff.
Below is the latest Asuu strike update, asuu latest news on resumption and ASUU strike news today, Monday, 8 August 2022, compiled by Newsone Nigeria.
Strike: We can no longer enter into unimplementable agreements — FG
THE Federal Government has said it would no longer succumb to any form of blackmail and intimidation that will make it enter into agreement with unions that will be difficult to implement.
The government’s position is coming on the heels of the face-off between it and the four university based unions that culminated in a strike which has lingered for about six months.
Beg ASUU, we can’t borrow, Keyamo tells parents
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has called on Nigerian parents and guardians whose parents are affected by the ongoing shutdown of academic activities in government-owned universities to appeal to the Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off the lingering strike.
ASUU had declared a nationwide strike on Monday, February 14, 2022.
The strike, according to the union, was as a result of the failure of the government to meet some demands such as the release of the revitalisation funds for universities, release of earned allowances for university lecturers, deployment of the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers, renegotiation of the ASUU-Federal Government 2009 agreement among others.
Since the strike began, stakeholders had called on the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to find a lasting solution to the strike and increase funding of tertiary institutions.
The President, in a meeting with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, alongside his other colleague, gave a directive to the members of his cabinet involved to ensure a speedy solution to the strike.
However, our correspondent reports that close to three weeks after the directive by the President, the union was yet to suspend its strike.
Featuring on a programme on Channels Television, Keyamo noted that the government had done its best and appealed to parents to “beg” ASUU.
“The moment they went on strike, we intervened, what is the manner again beyond that ? Even before the strike began, we called them to a meeting, what manner is more than that? It’s not like we left them to go on strike first and we were sleeping, as the talk started, they still went on strike.
“You can not allow one sector of the economy to hold you down and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion and our total income is around N6.1 trillion and we have roads to build, health centres and other sectors to take care of.
“I will tell the parents, everybody to go and beg ASUU like the President said the other time, those who know them should appeal to their sense of patriotism. The nation can not ground to a halt because we want to take care of the demands of ASUU”.
Prolonged Strike: Those blaming us ignorant of our demands – ASUU
THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, Calabar zone, has said Nigerians blaming the union for the prolonged industrial action lacked knowledge about their real demands.
The zonal Coordinator and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Dr. Aniekan Brown, spoke during an interview in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
Brown stressed that the union’s struggle was selfless, contrary to insinuation in some quarters that they want to be earning as much as the political class of the country.
He appreciated many Nigerians, who, however, supported and sympathized with the union for understanding that what they are doing is in the interview of the country’s future.
His word: “Essentially when we opted for this struggle, we had known that it wasn’t supposed to be a case of popularity contest.
“I salute the support we’ve had over the months. It was a well-thought-out decision to embark on a strike for a better future for all of us.
“But my view is that anybody who will take offense with the union, anybody who is blaming ASUU today does that out of ignorance. So I will appeal to them to take it easy and understand with us.
“What ASUU is doing is a selfless struggle. For those who are blaming ASUU, our challenge is to educate them, because if they had known why we are on strke, they will not blame ASUU.
Why ASUU Strike has not been resolved – Ngige
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Tuesday, said voluntary conciliation was adopted to ensure a quick resolution of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Mr Ngige made this known at the commencement of a three-day capacity-building workshop on International Labour Standards and Dispute Resolution in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
The workshop is organised by the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The minister said that voluntary conciliation was adopted instead of arbitration in order not to delay the resolution process with the striking lecturers.
“I could have transmitted the matter to the IAP or the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).
“But I used my discretion to weigh the situation to know if it would cause more delay in the resolution of the dispute in a court process,” he said.
Newsone reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended the prolonged industrial action embarked upon over five months ago by another four weeks.
This online news platform recalls ASUU Strike commenced on February 14, 2022, following the inability of the Federal Government to implement a Memorandum of Action (MoA) entered by the two parties in 2020.
Newsone Nigeria reports that ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke in a statement on Monday, August 1, 2022, said the decision to further extend the strike was to enable the FG satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues raised.
The development was a sequel to an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the union held at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, the University of Abuja in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Sunday, July 31, 2022.
The statement reads in part, “Following extensive deliberations and taking cognizance of Government’s past failures to abide by its own timelines in addressing issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA), NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues.
“The roll-over strike action is with effect from 12.01 am on Monday, 1st August 2022”.
Strike continues as ASUU NEC fails to suspend action
The industrial action by members of the Academic Sftaff Union of Universities, ASUU, will continue as members of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the union did not consider the option of suspending the action at its meeting which ended in the early hours of Monday in Abuja.
Checks by Vanguard showed that the national leadership of the union only briefed the meeting on their interactions and submissions made to the Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee set up the Federal Government to renegotiate the 2009 Agreement with the union.
A source said the leadership also told the meeting about the intervention of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the matter and the subsequent nationwide solidarity rallies held by the Congress and its affiliates last week.
All hands on deck to end ASUU Strike, says Education Minister
Armed with the progress made so far, the Minister of State for Education, Rt Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah, has reassured that the federal government is committed to ending the strike action of the Academic Staff Union of the Nigerian Universities, ASUU.
The minister who had earlier given a hint of this development said that given the charge of President Muhamadu Buhari concerning ending the industrial dispute, all relevant stakeholders involved in the resolution have moved into action and working towards achieving a positive result.
Opiah made the disclosure during a meeting with Women in Politics, WIP who visited his office to discuss the strike challenges in tertiary instructions in the country and other matters connected to national politics.
‘I’ll sack KASU lecturers who participate in ASUU strike’
Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai has sworn to sack any lecturer of the Kaduna State University (KASU) who participates in the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and fails to resume as directed by the management of the university.
The governor, who stated this in a live media chat with Hausa Radio Station on Wednesday night, said he was only waiting for report from the Acting Vice-Chancellor and will not hesitate to sack any indicted lecturer.
He argued that “ASUU had a problem with the Federal Government, not the state government. I see no reason why lecturers of Kaduna State University will be on strike since we are paying them appropriately. If this continues, we have no option but to sack all of them.”
NLC fulfils promise, protests against fuel hike, ASUU strike, bad governance
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has finally embarked on a two-day protest it promised, to register its displeasure over the lingering ASUU strike and other issues affecting the country.
The Congress has embarked on the nationwide protest in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other affiliate unions over the lingering industrial action in public universities in Nigeria.
ASUU Strike: Shelve Planned Protest, FG Appeals To NLC
The Federal Government has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to cancel its planned protest over the prolonged strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university-based unions.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, made the appeal Thursday at a meeting with the leadership of NLC in his office.
Also in attendance at the meeting were the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ms. Kachollom S. Daju.
ASUU Could Call Off Strike Before Two Weeks – Presidency
The Presidency has expressed optimism that the dispute between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) could be resolved earlier than the two weeks that are being projected.
The Presidency also dismissed media reports quoting President Muhammadu Buhari as giving a two-week ultimatum to the Minister of Education to resolve the dispute.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s media aide, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, while also appealing to the media not to spread misinformation over the ongoing strike by members of ASUU.
According to Shehu, the Presidency is optimistic that agreements can be reached in an even shorter period if all parties/stakeholders are not unrealistically obstinate.
The presidential aide, however, said: “It is a pity that almost all media houses allowed themselves to be deceived by interested sources that are not the authorised spokesmen of government.’’
FG, ASUU Disagree As Buhari Directs End To Strike In 2wks
The federal government and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) locked horns again Tuesday over modalities to end the five-month-old strike by lecturers in Nigerian public universities.
While President Muhammadu Buhari directed that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige should be part of meetings to resolve the crisis, the ASUU leadership said it would not participate in any process involving the minister.
Aside from ASUU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) have been in similar industrial action for disperate reasons.
Some of the demands of ASUU include: Revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) for payment of university lecturers among others
With the ASUU strike lingering for months, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) declared a nationwide protest for July 26 and 27 to show solidarity with the striking lecturers.
ASUU: Buhari orders Ngige to hands off negotiation
University teachers won a major battle yesterday: the government is ready to meet most of their demands.
Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu got marching orders from President Muhammadu Buhari to end the industrial actions by university-based unions.
The President also directed the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to hands off negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu got marching orders from President Muhammadu Buhari to end the industrial actions by university-based unions.
The President also directed the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to hands off negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Ngige’s role will only be limited to a conciliator when it is necessary.
ASUU had repeatedly accused Ngige of blackmail and being a stumbling block to the negotiations.
The President met with some ministers and heads of Federal Government agencies involved in the negotiations at the Presidential Villa.
He directed that the ongoing negotiation between the Federal Government and ASUU must be finalised within two to three weeks.
He ordered Adamu to henceforth coordinate, lead talks and harmonise terms with ASUU immediately.
ASUU meets August 1, strike enters 155th day
The National Executive Council of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities is scheduled to hold its meeting in the first week of August, 2022, it reliably gathered.
Our correspondent learnt that a decision on whether to suspend or continue with the strike which enters its 155th day on Tuesday (today), will be taken at the meeting.
Newsone reports that ASUU on Monday, February 14, 2022 embarked on the industrial action over what the union described as the failure of the government to address some of its demands.
The chairman of ASUU, Federal University of Technology, Minna chapter, Dr. Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed the planned meeting to our correspondent on Monday.
Bolarin said the meeting would be held either on July 30 or August 1, 2022.
ASUU had cautioned the government against the proliferation of tertiary institutions and the failure to approve the deployment of the Universities Transparency Accountability System.
The union had also insisted on the release of the White Paper of the visitation panels to universities and the release of revitalisation funds for the development of universities, among others.
ASUU: Unions to shut banks, airports, others over strike
The Federal Government and workers’ unions in various sectors of the economy were literally at each other’s jugular, yesterday, over the five-month long strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, which has grounded the nation’s ivory towers.
Pointedly, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, ANAP, and National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE, have threatened to shut down airports, banks and financial institutions in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, which has directed its members to embark on a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 in solidarity with the university teachers’ industrial action.
On a day the National Universities Commission, NUC, lamented the effects of the strike on students, the economy as well as reputation of the nation’s universities, the students’ wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG,also urged its members in the 19 states of the North, who are affected by the ASUU strike, to join the protest action declared by NLC.
ASUU Strike: NLC To Stage Nationwide Solidarity Protest
The National Labour Congress (NLC) says it will embark on a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 in solidarity with the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU has been on strike for months over the failure of the federal government to honour an agreement on issues bordering on funding universities, as well as on salaries and allowances of lecturers.
In a letter dated July 15 and addressed to chairpersons of the NLC in the states, Ayuba Wabba, the congress’ national president, and Emmanuel Ugboaja, general secretary, said the protest is aimed at getting “our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education”.
They designated Labour House in the federal capital territory (FCT) and secretariats of the NLC as the takeoff points for the protest.
“We bring you fraternal greetings from the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),” the letter read.
“In line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress held on the 30th of June 2022, we have scheduled as follows the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education.
“Dates: Tuesday, 26th July 2022 and Wednesday, 27th July 2022.”
Tinubu shouldn’t broker peace between ASUU, FG – Group
The Peter Obi Support Network on Thursday described the purported talks between the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities towards ending the union’s protracted strike, as a campaign stunt.
The POSN warned ASUU not to allow itself to be used as political mercenaries by the APC, by refusing to attend any further meetings or allow the APC presidential candidate to broker any kind of truce between the union and the Federal Government.
The organisation advised Tinubu to schedule meetings with the President, Major General Muhamamdu Buhari (retd.), to end the lecturer’s strike and not with the ASUU.
The Deputy Director of Communications of the POSN, Adegbite Adekunle, said this in a statement issued in Abuja
According to him, the purported talks with ASUU to end the strike “is a campaign stunt by the scandal-prone APC candidate that is designed for failure, adding that Tinubu should be holding meetings with Buhari to end the lecturer’s strike and not with the ASUU.
The group said, “Nigerian Universities have been on lockdown for more than two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerians are afraid that their students will continue the stay-at-home pandemic unless the ruling party is kicked out of government.
“With this development, the APC further establishes that it does not view anything as sacred in its quest to retain power, including, the endangerment of the academic future of our youths and trammelling the professional potentials of our scholars.
ASUU strike: Enough is enough, call off now – Buhari charges lecturers
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to reconsider their stand on the lingering strike.
Buhari said “enough is enough”, hence ASUU should consider the long-term effect on students and the generational consequences on families, the educational system and the future development of the country.
He spoke while receiving governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), legislators and political leaders at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, on Monday.
The president lamented that the strike was already taking a toll on the psychology of parents, students and other stakeholders, throwing up many moral issues that already beg for attention.
“We hope that ASUU will sympathise with the people on the prolonged strike. Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home. Don’t hurt the next generation for goodness sake.
ASUU strike: FG working to ensure quick resolution, says minister
Goodluck Opiah, minister of state for education, has assured that the federal government is working to ensure that the strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ends soon.
Opiah gave the assurance on Sunday in Owerri, Imo state capital, while fielding questions from reporters at a reception organised in his honour.
ASUU is currently on strike over the federal government’s failure to honour an agreement on issues bordering on funding universities, as well as salaries and allowances of lecturers
Opiah, who was confirmed by the senate for his ministerial position in June, expressed hope that the disagreement would be resolved in no time.
“I can assure you that government is very concerned about the situation. Even as I speak to you now a lot of thinking, a lot of discussions and meetings are going on with a view to resolving the matter as quickly as possible,” he said
“I am hopeful that the disagreement between government and ASUU will be resolved soon so that our children can go back to school.”
ASUU strike: Nationwide blackout looms as workers threaten to shut down power sector
Workers in the power sector have threatened to shutdown electricity supply in the country should Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, declare a nationwide protest over the protracted industrial crises in the country’s educational sector.
Strike: FG breaks ASUU’s rank, plans to release withheld salaries of medical lecturers
THE Federal Government has started processing the withheld salaries of some medical lecturers in various federal universities who opted out of the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The development is sequel to a letter by the medical lecturers, under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association, MDCAN, to the Ministers of Education, Labour and Employment, and Finance, Budget and National Planning, requesting for the payment of their withheld March-June, 2022 salaries.
The affected lecturers are from University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, ATBUTH, and the Usman Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital, UDUTH.
A top official of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning who preferred anonymity, confirmed to our correspondent that approval had been granted for payment of the lecturers.
According to the source, the approval was granted because the medical lecturers harkened to plea by the Federal Government and well-meaning Nigerians for ASUU to stay on duty while negotiating with the Federal Government.
Striking varsity unions lament salary stoppage
Striking university unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, have lamented the effect of the no-work-no-pay policy invoked by the Federal Government, saying it was meant to weaken their resolve.
The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke; and SSANU’s National Vice-President, Dr Abdussobur Salaam, spoke in separate interviews with The PUNCH.
Osodeke told our correspondent that the last time he received his salary was in February, adding that the government’s strategy of withholding their salaries is meant to weaken their resolve over the union’s demands.
He however said members of the union would remain steadfast even if they will have to do menial jobs or embark on farming to get money.
He added that three weeks after they had the last meeting with the renegotiation committee, nothing had been heard from the government.
He said, “We have not heard anything from the government. This is the third week after the meeting with the renegotiation committee headed by Prof. Briggs. We will keep waiting until they respond.
“Ngige believes that our members will become hungry and beg them, but we will not beg them. We are ready to wait for a year, two years, till they respond.
“If it means doing taxi work, selling groundnut, doing farming to feed, we will engage in those ventures but he should be rest assured that his strategy of withholding our salaries will not work.”
You Can’t Proscribe Union Activities, ASUU President Tells ObasekiThe National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Osodeke Emmanuel, yesterday told the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki that he has no constitutional power to proscribe the union’s activities in the state owned institution, Ambrose Alli University.
The ASUU president, who stated this when he led other national delegates of the union in solidarity protest to the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma over their unpaid salaries and other sundry issues, said ASUU is a registered body that has the right to operate in the country.
He said: “The governor did not establish the union, therefore, he doesn’t have the right or the power to ban the union. He doesn’t have that right. He is just making noise and it will not work.”
ASUU strike: APC youth leader meets Ngige, consults ASUU President
The All Progressives Congress, APC, National Youth leader, Dayo Israel has revealed his efforts towards putting an end to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
Israel disclosed that he met and discussed how to end ASUU strike with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige yesterday in Abuja.
In a series of tweets, the APC youth leader said he also met with the presidents of ASUU and the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, over the lingering strike.
Israel disclosed that his consultations with relevant stakeholders on how resolve the ongoing industrial action will continue.
According to him: “I just met Nigeria’s Minister of Labour Chris Ngige with my Youth Leaders at his home in Abuja to discuss the way forward in putting an end to the ASUU Strike. Earlier in the day, I spoke to the Presidents of ASUU and NANS ahead of my meeting with the Minister.
“I also spoke to the Chairman of the Wage, Income and Salaries Commission through the Ministers Phone. I can inform Nigerians that a counter offer to ASUU has been put together by the FG and will be presented to Mr President this week.
“Our consultations will continue and we call on all stakeholders to find a middle ground and ensure our youths go back to school this month.”
ASUU strike: Buhari should resign now
Over the years, Nigeria has suffered the glitches of not just insurmountable challenges but deliberate ones, cleverly woven into a web of barricades by some overbearing elements whose job it is to plunder the country.
These are the enemies strategically planted by providence to ambush the peace, development and accelerated progression of the dear country. They have their ancestry in history and had infiltrated our marketplaces, educational institutions, public offices, churches and so forth.
No wonder Osita Agwuna wrote a fierce newsletter, which was presented publicly as a lecture under the Chairmanship of Chief Anthony Enahoro in the year 1948. The provocatively blunt newsletter canvasses the call for a sweeping revolution, it borrowed the diction of Thomas Sankara in clamouring for a total overhaul of our different sectors while laying to rest the factors which gave birth to the general strike of 1945, the Burutu Strike of 1947 too.
The radical Zikists, who convened in the year 1946, launched the first-ever audacious attack against the anti-people and highly traumatising policies of the British. They mobilised the Nigerians of that time against the system in place: this was by dissuading them from paying tax to the British but the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons; they canvassed against their obeying their security forces too.
From the era when the “Call For A Revolution” was prominent till the time when there is a need for #RevolutionNow, #EndSARS, Nigeria has refused to be delivered from the shackles of the myriads of intrigues militating day and night against the soul of the most populous African Country. Democracy, a medicine believed to be the only balm on her woes was reinstated after courageous Nigerians fought earnestly for it.
ASUU strike: NLC to embark on a one-day nationwide protest
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), announced a one day nationwide protest over the Federal Government’s inconclusive negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which has led to the extension of the union’s strike action.
The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba disclosed this at the opening of the Congress’ Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, according to NAN.
They said the purpose of the strike is to force the FG to find a close to the negotiations.
Strike: Our problem with ASUU – FG
THE Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and employment, Sunday gave insight into why no unions in the nation’s university system education were invited to last Thursday’s meeting.
FG stated that the meeting was to assess the progress made so far on addressing the few outstanding demands of the striking university workers, such as the contentious payment platform and the renegotiation of their conditions of service.
In a statement by Head, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, lamented that the combative and several unfounded allegations by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU against the government, particularly, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, saying, “all insinuations that the Ministry of Labour does not sympathise with the students, unions and parents, of which the Minister is one, should be disabused.
It noted that “ASUU should know that we are arbitrators and conciliators. We cannot manufacture agreements. Regardless, we are not constrained from listening to the government side and pushing them to do their own bit as quickly as possible.”
FG has revealed when the ASUU strike will be called off. Newsone reports that the Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday, June 22, said the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities would soon be called off.
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