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By Gabriel Dike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday said the failure of the Federal Government to implement the signed agreement, payment of withheld salary is threatening the fragile peace in public universities nationwide.
The union debunked a claim by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, that the government has met all demands of the union, thus, ASUU cannot contemplate going on strike.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Lagos Zone, Prof. Adesola Nassir, disclosed this at a briefing on the status of the implementation of the 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement and engagement with government on the fall outs from the implementation.
Prof. Nassir said five after the signing of the agreement, members nationwide are agitated about the failure of government to implement the agreement, payment of amputated salary and allowance.
According to him, one of the low hanging fruits from the agreement is the salary component as captured by the Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances (CATA), Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and Professorial Allowances (PA).
He added that these allowances were supposed to be mainstreamed into the Consolidated Academic Staff Salary Scale (CONUASS) as monthly salary packages from January, 2026.
Nassir said however, events that unfolded since the celebrated unveiling of the agreement is confirming members suspicion that government is more interested in using the signing ceremony to score political points rather that frontally address the issues that informed the disruptions that impelled the conclusion and signing of the agreement.
He appreciated the position of the Federal Government to encourage university administration to implement the salary aspect of the agreement as a stop-gap pending the signing of the 2026 Budget.
“We are perturbed that government failed to take into consideration the strength of each university to adequately cover the shortfall in the salary component of recurrent cost.
“The consequence has been haphazard implementation which is at variance with Governments assertion that it has implemented that aspect of the agreement.
“We are also equally disturbed that governments attitude has not convinced the system that it has the commitment and capacity to reimburse the universities for the various amounts mobilized to “rescue the situation” as it were,” he argued.
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The coordinator said the union is also disturbed that many visitors to state-owned universities are playing the ostrich on the implementation of agreement in their respective universities, even with the knowledge that representatives of their Governing Councils and universities participated in the process leading to the evolution of the agreement.
Nassir warned that this issue if not addressed, has the potential to shatter the industrial peace in the institutions.
He confirmed that four states universities, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ekiti State University and Osun State University have keyed into the agreement.
Nassir called on the Lagos State Government, to as a matter of urgency, commence the implementation of the agreement without delay.
“We are aware that the three universities belonging to the State: Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) have reached out to the government on the implementation. We urge the Visitor Mr Babajide Sawo-Olu to immediately wade into the matter and arrest any possible staff disenchantment and dispute over this matter. If any State should be the first to implement the agreement, and even enhance it, it should be Lagos State for many obvious reasons.”
He revealed that the union have chosen to present members frustration to the Nigerian public as the fragile peace in the universities have continued to be threatened by government’s lack of will to keep faith with its responsibilities.
Nassir added: “Our membership is being oppressed by governments. This cannot be allowed to continue. Our members across the country have been briefed on the status of our engagement with the government, particularly on the implementation of the agreement and other matters.
He stressed that Lagos zone made up of seven universities are solidly with ASUU at national level in respect of any direction taken on this matter.
