ASUU Set To Take Decision On Proposed Strike On Saturday

The Academic Staff Union of Universities is meeting on Saturday to, among other things, take a final decision on its proposed nationwide strike.

The union’s zonal coordinator in charge of the Sokoto zone, Jamilu Shehu disclosed in Katsina on Wednesday at a press conference.

ASUU Sokoto zone comprises five institutions, including the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Sokoto State University, Sokoto, and Federal University Dutsinma.

The ASUU scribe warned the Federal Government not to drag the nation’s educational sector to dark days of strike actions, by urgently implementing the December 23, 2020, Memorandum of Action reached with the union.

He declared, “We are, hence, calling for all the concerned parties to urgently address these issues in line with the spirit and letters of the December 2020 MoA and the intervention of the Speaker, House of Representatives, and others, or risk industrial action.

“Also the union hereby calls on all patriotic Nigerians to prevail on the government to return to the path of honour by concluding the MoA it agreed to implement.

“Both the federal and state governments should be impressed upon to accord the educational sector the attention it deserves because that is the only, and of course surest way, that we can truly develop as a nation.”

Shehu identified outstanding issues to be resolved to also include, lack of full implementation of funding for the revitalization of public universities, and payment and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowances.

Others, according to him, are the implementation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, and inconsistencies in Salary Payment with the Integrated Personnel Payroll System.

He added that ASUU and the Federal Government had concluded the renegotiation exercise, and had come up with a draft document, alleging that the government team was delaying making further recommendations on the draft.

“In view of the foregoing, therefore, ASUU would no longer rely on lies and pledges of the implementation of the 23rd December 2020 MoA by the government,” Shehu maintained.