ASUU plans fresh nationwide strike, gives FG 21-day notice

Members of the Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU) are currently planning a fresh strike and have concluded an arrangement to submit a formal notice to the federal government, Daily Trust can confirm.

The decision, it was learnt, was reached at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, during a National Executive Council meeting of the union.

Credible sources, who were part of the NEC meeting, told our correspondent that their plans to embark on a fresh strike was as a result of many unfulfilled promises made by the federal government.

One of the officials, who spoke to Daily Trust anonymously because he wasn’t authorised to speak, explained that they gave the notice in order to satisfy the requirements of the Trade Dispute Act.

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He said one of their grouses was that, despite the President’s pronouncement that university lecturers be removed from IPPIS, the platform was still being used for their salaries’ payment.

According to him, the platform has continued to amputate their members’ salaries, adding that there are other many unresolved issues on ground.

“You and I know that there are many unresolved issues on the ground. We won’t hesitate to embark on another strike if our demands are not met.

“Our demands are very clear, but the government thinks they are smart and play on our intelligence,” the university lecturer said.

Another official confided in our correspondent that the “letter of notice” will reach the Federal Ministries of Education and Labour on Tuesday unfailingly.

Both the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke and the spokesperson of the Labour ministry, Mrs Patience Onuobia could not be reached for confirmation.

Several phone calls to the ASUU President were not answered, and he was yet to reply to a text message sent to him as at when filing this report Monday night.

Also, phone calls to the mobile phone of Mrs Onuobia, did not connect, and there was no reply to a text message sent to her as at when filing this report.