ASUU To Continue Strike Despite FG’s Payment Of Minimum Salary Arrears

Despite the Federal Government paying the lecturers’ minimum salary arrears, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has maintained that its members will not call off the over three-month strike.

This was declared by the lecturers union in a statement released by the University of Lagos branch, titled “Payment of minimum salary arrears.”

Dele Ashiru, the chairman of UNILAG ASUU, condemned the payment as “long overdue,” adding that the union’s primary objectives had not been addressed.

The statement read, “The leadership of our Branch has been inundated with calls concerning the recent payment of the long-overdue arrears of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.

“Our members are reminded that this is not one of the core demands upon which the ongoing strike action is premised.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the demands of our Union are the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, abrogation of the fraudulent and corrupt IPPIS scheme and the deployment of UTAS, payment of promotion arrears, the proliferation of State Universities and governance issues amongst others.

“While our Union welcomes this unsolicited payment, our members should please conserve the funds and spend wisely so as to energise our struggle until all our demands are satisfactorily met. Our Union commends the resolve and sacrifice of our members in enthroning a University system that is globally competitive.

“United we bargain! Divided we beg! A people united can never be defeated. Solidarity forever.”

ASUU announced a four-week strike on February 14, during its National Executive Committee meeting in Lagos, following the Federal Government’s refusal to address its demands.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the National President of ASUU, said the union has not gotten any formal invitation from the federal government since their previous meeting in December 2021.

ASUU has now prolonged its strike for another two months in order to give the government more time to respond to all of its demands.