At least two zones of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have asked Nigerians to hold the Federal Government responsible if the body of university lecturers embarks on another strike.
The Abuja and Bauchi zones of the union said this while accusing the government of not implementing the agreement it signed with the lecturers in December 2020.
In March 2020, ASUU embarked on a strike as a result of its disagreement with the Federal Government on the funding of universities, the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution, funding and revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, promotion arrears and renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
ASUU held several meetings with the Federal Government on the UTAS and the other issues, which were approved by the government, with a promise of prompt implementation.
The government’s assurance of implementation, which was accompanied by the signing of a Memorandum of Action, led to the calling off of the strike on December 24, 2020, after the Federal Government also agreed to exclude ASUU members from the IPPIS.
However, ASUU for some weeks now has been urging the government to fulfil the agreements contained in the Memorandum of Action, which it signed with the union.
As a result, the Abuja zone of the union, at its congress, accused the Federal Government of reneging on its promises and warned that such an action could lead to a fresh industrial action in the nation’s universities.
