By Gabriel Dike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may commence an indefinite strike this week over government failure to address its demands.
Ahead of the likely indefinite strike, an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting is ongoing at ASUU Secretariat in Abuja.
ASUU on March 14, 2022, rolled over its strike to two months. The union had earlier declared four weeks total and comprehensive rollover strike at the end of its NEC meeting held at the University of Lagos from 12th to 13th, February 2022.
A source told Daily Sun that the NEC meeting, which has in attendance branch chairmen and principal officers, would take a crucial decision about the current rollover strike that would end tomorrow (Monday).
His words: “From all indication, it is very likely that NEC will approve indefinite and comprehensive strike in public universities because the Federal Government has not offered anything on the negotiation table.
“Overwhelming members of NEC and branches are in support of indefinite strike. The crucial meeting is still ongoing but the indication points to total and comprehensive strike.”
The source revealed that the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, would after the crucial NEC meeting address the media on the decision reached.
According to him, ASUU members are angry with government approach to the issues at stake and their body language suggests they would vote for indefinite strike.
At the last meeting with government negotiation team led by Prof. Nimi Briggs, ASUU officials worked out but there is indication that the both parties would meet next week.
ASUU’s demands include the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed with government in December 2020 on funding for revitalisation of public universities (both federal and states), renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ ASUU Agreement and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
Other outstanding issues are earned academic allowances; state universities, promotion arrears, withheld salaries, non-remittance of third-party deductions and rejection of UTAS that ASUU technical team developed to replace the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).