ASUU accused the government of being slow in responding to its longstanding demands, lamenting that the appeal only came two working days before the strike deadline.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, criticized the Ministry of Education for its “habitual delay” in handling critical issues affecting the university system.
“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” Piwuna said. “We gave them three weeks after our meeting in Sokoto, but we never heard from them until the deadline elapsed. Not even a courtesy call or message.”
He noted that the government’s sudden appeal on Wednesday was a reaction to the union’s strike notice, adding that the 2009 agreement—still being renegotiated after eight years—remains unresolved.
“Two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late,” Piwuna said.
ASUU’s 14-day ultimatum, issued on September 29, expires on Sunday. The union warned that it would commence a warning strike if no substantial progress is made before then.
“Unless something concrete comes from the government within the next 48 hours, we will proceed with our warning strike,” the ASUU president stated.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has appealed to the union to shelve the planned strike. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said in Abuja on Wednesday that the government is making progress in addressing ASUU’s demands.
He added that the reconstituted Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee had been mandated by President Bola Tinubu to fast-track negotiations and prevent further disruptions in the education sector.
