Education Archives - Page 3 of 7

NLC Gives FG Four Weeks to Resolve ASUU Crisis

October 20, 2025 by admin

The Nigeria Labour Congress has resolved to issue a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government should it fail to conclude negotiations with all tertiary institutions-based unions. The NLC also condemned the no-work-no-pay policy introduced by the government as a form of sanction to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities for daring to embark on a nationwide strike. The president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero made this known in an ongoing interactive session with labour correspondents in Abuja. The interactive session followed the meeting between the NLC and leaders of tertiary institutions’ based unions at the NLC headquarters in Abuja. “We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU but the problem in this sector goes beyond ASUU. “That is why we are extending this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NEC will meet and take a nationwide action that all workers in the country, all unions in the country will be involved so that we get to the root of all this. “ The era of signing agreements, negotiations and threatening the unions involved, that era has come to an end. “The policy, the so-called policy of no work, no pay, will henceforth be no pay, no work. You can’t benefit from an action you instigated. We have discovered that most, 90% of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements,” Ajaero said. The Nigerian higher education system has been faced with chronic instability, the latest leading to the closure of universities nationwide due to the ongoing strike by ASUU. Recall that ASUU National President Professor Chris Piwuna announced the strike at a press briefing at the University of Abuja on Sunday, following the expiry of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government on September 28. The union cited unresolved issues relating to staff welfare, infrastructure, salary arrears, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement. Negotiations in recent weeks failed to avert industrial action. Education Minister Tunji Alausa said two weeks ago that talks had reached a final phase, noting the government had released N50bn for earned academic allowances and allocated N150bn in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment to be disbursed in three instalments. However, ASUU rejected these measures as insufficient. The union is demanding full implementation of the 2009 agreement, release of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, sustainable funding for universities, protection against victimisation, payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, and release of withheld deductions for cooperatives and union contributions. The NLC emphasised its full solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, calling for robust participation from all union leaders. It also highlighted the principle of a converse stance, “No Pay, No Work”, urging the government to honour collective agreements and respect the rights of workers. The emergency meeting is expected to chart the next steps for industrial action and explore strategies to safeguard the welfare of university staff, as well as the quality and continuity of public tertiary education in Nigeria.

ASUU Ready to Resume Talks With FG — President

October 13, 2025 by admin

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has expressed readiness to resume negotiations with the Federal Government to end the ongoing strike, saying it has received signals from government officials indicating willingness to restart talks. ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, disclosed this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television, where he reaffirmed the union’s commitment to dialogue as the only path to resolving the lingering industrial dispute. ASUU had on Sunday declared a comprehensive two-week strike, suspending academic work across public universities, citing unresolved demands that have lingered for years. In response, the Federal Government argued that it has met ASUU’s demands and has labelled the strike unjustifiable. Further complicating matters, the government threatened to enforce a “no work, no pay” policy, intending to withhold salaries of lecturers who fail to resume work. However, the Nigeria Labour Congress condemned the threat, warning that such a move would undermine fair negotiation and the right of workers to collective bargaining. The labour body also pledged its support for ASUU in its call for improved conditions in the university system. Despite the tense exchanges, Piwuna said the union was encouraged by renewed contact from top government officials seeking a resolution. “Today, I received a call from Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Chairman of the Federal Government Team, and he’s eager to resume talks with us. I also received another call from the Minister of State for Labour, stating that she’s been directed to intervene and get this matter resolved. ASUU is willing. We are ready and available to discuss this matter once and for all,” Piwuna said. He added that the union expected official communication from the Implementation and Labour Monitoring Committee between Monday night and Tuesday, noting that ASUU would immediately honour any invitation to the negotiation table. “My understanding, as I’m talking to you now, is that between this night and tomorrow, I will get a communication from the secretary of the IALM Committee for a meeting at a date that they will tell us. And I would also hear from the Minister of Labour on what they want to do to resolve this matter. We are ready and willing to go back and talk,” he said. Piwuna, however, emphasised that the strike action was never an easy choice for the union but a last resort to press home demands that had lingered for years. “Strike has never been an option that we exercise so freely. We are willing to talk about all these issues,” he stated. Reacting to the Minister of Education’s recent remarks that all outstanding issues with the union had been resolved, Piwuna challenged the government to clarify why further meetings were being arranged if no unresolved matters remained. He said, “Since the minister has said all the problems have been solved, that there is nothing left, I want Nigerians to ask the Ministry of Labour and the Federal Government negotiating team: if the issues have been solved, why are you going back to talk with ASUU? Are lecturers in LASU or Kogi State University still not being victimised? Has the 2009 agreement been concluded?” The ASUU president reiterated that both lecturers and students were victims of government inaction, stressing that the union’s goal was to restore stability and quality in Nigeria’s public university system through sincere dialogue. “Nigerian students and academic staff union of universities are victims of governments. They are victims of governments in action and several other things. So we see ourselves as victims of this government, the way students see themselves as victims of what is going on,” he said. Already, several universities, including Olabisi Onabanjo University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Tai Solarin University of Education, and the University of Ibadan, have joined the industrial action, grounding lectures and other academic operations on their campuses.

BREAKING: FG Enforces No-Work-No-Pay on Striking ASUU Members

October 13, 2025 by admin

The Federal Government has directed vice-chancellors of federal universities across the country to strictly enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities currently participating in the ongoing nationwide strike. The directive was contained in a circular dated October 13, 2025, and signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. The circular was copied to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretary of Education, Pro-Chancellors of all federal universities, Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission. According to the circular, the Federal Ministry of Education expressed dissatisfaction over reports of the continued industrial action by ASUU despite repeated calls for dialogue, stressing that government would no longer tolerate non-compliance with extant labour laws. “In line with the provisions of the Labour Laws of the Federation, the Federal Government reiterates its position on the enforcement of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy in respect of any employee who fails to discharge his or her official duties during the period of strike action,” the circular reads. The minister directed all vice-chancellors of federal universities to immediately conduct a roll call and physical headcount of all academic staff in their institutions. He also instructed them to submit a comprehensive report indicating staff members who are present and performing their official duties, and those absent or participating in the strike. Alausa further directed that salary payment for the period of work stoppage be withheld from those who fail to perform their duties. He clarified that members of the Congress of University Academics and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics, who are not part of the strike, are exempted from the directive and will not face any salary deductions. The minister also tasked the NUC to monitor compliance with the directive and submit a consolidated report to the ministry within seven days of receiving the circular. “Please, treat this matter with utmost urgency and a deep sense of responsibility in national interest,” Alausa urged the university heads. The federal government had threatened to enforce the policy amid the ongoing nationwide strike by the lecturers. The lecturers on Sunday declared a total and comprehensive warning strike starting from Monday, October 13. ASUU is currently demanding the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of the withheld three and a half months’ salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of public universities, and cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO. Others are payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years and release of withheld third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, union check-off dues).

Strike: ASUU Faults FG’s Last-Minute Appeal as ‘too late’

October 9, 2025 by admin

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has faulted the Federal Government’s last-minute appeal for the union to suspend its proposed warning strike, saying the intervention came “a little too late.” ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, stated this on Thursday while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, accusing the government of failing to act promptly on the union’s long-standing demands. “The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” Piwuna said. He recalled that the union had given the government three weeks to address its grievances after a previous meeting in Sokoto, but received no communication during that period. Piwuna stated, “We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action. “They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed — not a word from them, courtesy to even say, ‘Oh gentlemen, we think we are running short, three weeks is around the corner, we are unable to meet with you on so-and-so date.’ Nothing, until we threatened action.” Piwuna said the government only reached out two working days before the proposed strike, appealing for it to be suspended. “Yesterday, they appealed to us not to embark on action. Our 2009 agreement — which is still being renegotiated after eight years — remains undone. We have not concluded on it, and two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late,” the ASUU President added. Meanwhile, Piwuna insisted that the union would proceed with its planned industrial action at the expiration of its ultimatum on Sunday unless the government takes urgent steps to address its demands. He said, “Their ultimatum expires on Sunday, and after that, there will be a warning strike unless something substantial comes out from the government. So, in the next 48 hours, we expect to receive something substantial from the government. “Then, we can go back to our members and ask, ‘Do you think this is sufficient for us to hold on?’ and we will do what our members ask us to do.” ASUU had directed its branches to prepare for a two-week warning strike expected to begin on October 13. The latest standoff between ASUU and the Federal Government comes despite ongoing negotiations aimed at averting another round of industrial action in the nation’s tertiary institutions. On Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed in Abuja that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

ASUU Issues 14-day Ultimatum to FG Over Unresolved Issues

September 29, 2025 by admin

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The union made the decision following a National Executive Council meeting held on Sunday at the University of Abuja. The national president of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna made this known in a copy of strike action he personally signed and made available to our correspondent in Abuja. “ At the National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Abuja on the 28th of September, 2025, the Union decried the neglect of the University system and the government’s consistent refusal to heed to its demands. “Accordingly, ASUU has given the Federal Government of Nigeria an Ultimatum of fourteen (14) days within which to address these issues. If at the end of the fourteen-day ultimatum, the Federal Government fails to address these issues, the Union may have no option but to, first, embark on a two-week warning strike and thereafter, a total and indefinite strike.” Recall that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education set up a committee headed by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Abel Enitan to look into a proposal for ASUU in a bid to ensure stability across universities. At the time of filing this report, the committee has yet to make any decision known to the public. ASUU’s core demands remain largely unchanged: renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, adequate revitalisation funds for universities, settlement of outstanding salary arrears, and sustainable funding mechanisms. Details later

Urgent Need for Oyo State Government to Stop Annual Textbook Changes in Schools

September 26, 2025 by admin

As students resume to schools in all public and private primary and secondary schools in Oyo State on Monday, I am writing to draw attention to a pressing issue affecting parents, students, and the education system in Oyo State: the frequent and unnecessary annual changes to school textbooks, especially by private school owners. While schools may justify this practice as a means to update curricula or align with new standards, it places an undue financial burden on families, undermines sustainability, and does not always translate to improved educational outcomes. Each academic session, parents in Oyo State are compelled to purchase new sets of textbooks for their children, even when the content of these books differs only marginally from previous editions. This practice is particularly challenging for low- and middle-income families who struggle to afford these recurring costs. For example, a single textbook can cost between ₦5,000 and ₦15,000, and with multiple subjects, the expenses quickly become overwhelming. This financial strain often forces parents to prioritize basic needs over education, potentially impacting students’ access to essential learning materials. Moreover, the constant change in textbooks contributes to waste, as older editions are discarded despite being reusable. This practice contradicts efforts to promote sustainability and efficient resource use. It also raises concerns about transparency, as some schools may be influenced by publishers or other stakeholders to adopt new textbooks unnecessarily, potentially prioritizing profit over educational quality. Encouragingly, several other Nigerian states have already taken decisive steps to curb this issue, offering models Oyo State could emulate. For instance, Imo State has prohibited annual replacements, mandating textbooks for a minimum of four years in both public and private schools. Edo State similarly requires reuse for at least four years, while Ogun State enforces a six-year cycle before any changes, with sanctions for non-compliance. Enugu State reviews and approves textbooks for three-year periods, and Benue State has abolished non-transferable customized books to promote handover from seniors to juniors. These policies not only alleviate parental burdens but also foster resource efficiency and consistent learning. While the Oyo State Government has a responsibility to intervene and regulate this practice, I propose the following measures: – Standardize Textbook Usage: The government should establish a policy mandating schools to use approved textbooks for a minimum period (e.g., 3–5 years) unless significant curriculum changes justify updates. – Strengthen Oversight: The Ministry of Education should monitor schools to ensure compliance and investigate cases where textbook changes appear driven by commercial interests. – Promote Reuse and Affordability: This will encourage schools to implement textbook recycling programs and provide subsidies or free textbooks for indigent students. – Engage Stakeholders: Involve parents, teachers, and education experts in reviewing textbook policies to ensure they prioritize student welfare and learning outcomes. By addressing this issue, the Oyo State Government can alleviate the financial burden on families, promote equitable access to education, and foster a more sustainable learning environment—much like its neighboring states. I urge policymakers to act swiftly to regulate textbook changes and prioritize the interests of students and parents. Thank you for providing a platform to highlight this critical issue. I hope this letter sparks meaningful discussion and actions. Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan is the Deputy Director, Information Archives in Oyo State Ministry of Information, Ibadan.

FG Gifts Teenager Who Won Global English Contest N200,000

August 28, 2025 by admin

The Federal Government, on Thursday, gifted the winner of the TeenEagle global finals competition, Nafisah Abdullahi, N200,000. Recall that the Atiku Foundation rewarded the TeenEagle champions, namely Nafisa Abdullahi, Rukaiya Fema, and Khadija Kalli, with fully-funded scholarships following their outstanding performance at the TeenEagle Global Finals. The girls, who emerged as global winners in various categories of the prestigious academic competition, were recognised by the Foundation for what it described as their “remarkable success.” At a special recognition ceremony in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suiwaba Ahmad, celebrated Nafisa’s remarkable feat and other students who excelled during the competition. They described her as “a beacon of excellence and inspiration to Nigerian youths.” Representing Nigeria through the Nigerian Tulip International College, Nafisa outshone more than 20,000 participants from 69 countries, including native English-speaking nations, to clinch the world title. TeenEagle competition is an internationally acclaimed contest that evaluates students’ proficiency in the English language, critical thinking, and communication skills. Speaking at the event, Alausa said the Federal Government was laying the groundwork for stronger foundational education to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the country. He stressed that President Bola Tinubu has demonstrated a strong commitment to human capital development through increased investment in education, health, and social protection. “You are the future of Nigeria, and you have made us proud. For the first time in the history of our nation, we have one of the highest budgetary allocations to education. “Each time we approach the President for support in the sector, his response has been a resounding ‘yes’ because he believes in you, the children of Nigeria. “Your success gives us the confidence to ask for more, and we will continue to do so on your behalf,” the minister said. The minister also announced a gift of over N100,000 to Nafisa and her other colleagues who excelled in other fields. On her part, Ahmad commended Nafisa’s resilience, intellect, and determination, pledging the Federal Government’s continued support for young talents who bring honour to the nation. “Nigerian youths can compete and excel globally. Nafisa has demonstrated that Nigeria is blessed and can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world. You are a shining example,” she said. She urged the teenager to see the achievement as the beginning of a greater journey, while commending her parents and teachers for providing the foundation for her success. Responding, Nafisa appreciated Tinubu and the ministers for creating an environment for her to excel while thanking her school, NTIC and her parent for the support. The Yobe state Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Abba Idris, thanked the minister for his gesture. He also noted that the state government has continued to celebrate milestones in the education sector.

ASUU Calls On N’Assembly, Others To Intervene As Strike Looms

August 26, 2025 by admin

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has called on stakeholders, including the National Assembly, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and students, to caution the Federal Government against pushing university teachers to embark on nationwide strike. The Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Akure Zone, Professor Adeola Egbedokun, expressed deep concern over the alleged failure of President Bola Tinubu administration to attend to the various demands of the union since his assumption of office two years ago. Egbedokun, who spoke at a press conference at Federal University Oye Ekiti on Tuesday, said that the Federal Government’s failure to heed ASUU’s several calls and agitations had pushed the lecturers to the edge, and their patience had been stretched to its breaking point. He stated that ASUU demands included implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding of Nigerian universities, revitalisation of the university system, payment of outstanding 25–35 per cent salary arrears, stagnated promotions for over four years, unremitted third-party deductions, and victimisation of colleagues in some institutions. The ASUU leader said, “We will fight back, and the consequences would be damning except the government takes a decisive step to attend to all our requests urgently. “While we take note of the government’s planned meeting of August 28, 2025, let it be clear that the clock is ticking, and time is no longer on the government’s side. Our patience has been stretched to its breaking point. Trust has been shattered, and only decisive government action can mend it. “The National Executive Committee has resolved that all options remain on the table. If the government chooses provocation over responsibility, if it continues to play games with the future of our universities, then it alone must bear the consequences of the storm that will follow. The ball is squarely in the government’s court. “We call on all well-meaning Nigerians – Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, National Association of Nigerian Students, traditional rulers, and the National Assembly to caution the government against pushing us into avoidable confrontation. “For over two years, we have kept faith with the promise of dialogue and refrained from strike actions, but our patience has reached its limits. Our resources are drained, our tanks are dry, and this long road cannot be traveled any further without genuine results. “Lecturers have remained frozen, stagnant, and insultingly irrelevant in today’s economy. It has become a bitter irony that the very lecturers who educate the nation cannot afford to pay their own children’s school fees,” he said. The ASUU zonal chairman said that the report of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led re-negotiation, painstakingly concluded and submitted since February 2025, had been treated with reckless indifference, describing such a development as a clear betrayal of trust and an insult to the principle of collective bargaining. He appealed to ASUU members not to subscribe to a loan policy introduced by the Federal Government, saying it was an attempt to throw them into perpetual bondage. “This loan policy is nothing but a crude distraction and a sinister snare. It is designed to suffocate our members, undermine our cooperative societies, and push them into perpetual bondage, struggling to pay for healthcare, shelter, and the education of their children.” Egbedokun disclosed that the ASUU members in the zone held peaceful rallies in their different campuses on Monday to test-run the next move if government remained adamant.

Makinde Flags off Training of 18,000 Teachers, Distributes Tablets, Teaching Materials

August 14, 2025 by admin

Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has flagged off the training of 18,000 primary and junior secondary school teachers across the 33 local government areas of the state. This was as he kick-started the distribution of instructional training materials and teaching aids to the teachers, stating that the Oyo State Government remained determined to be abreast of developments in the education sector and to meet universal standards. Governor Makinde, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, at the event held at the Emmanuel College, Agbowo, Ibadan, on Tuesday, added that the programme was part of the government’s commitment to empowering and equipping the educators, who in turn would impart quality knowledge to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools. The intervention programme was facilitated by Global Partnership in Education, sponsored by the World Bank in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) and Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). Speaking further, the governor stated that the instructional training materials and the teaching aids would foster the capability of pupils and students to compete nationally and internationally and also equip the teachers with modern teaching tools in line with global educational standards by also adopting up-to-date teaching methods. ‎He said: “We have come to demonstrate and make people aware that we are moving in tandem with educational development worldwide. We all know this is a digital age and we cannot afford to be analogue. So, we need to keep our teachers abreast of developments in their sector. “These computer tablets that are being distributed will further enhance the instructional capabilities of our teachers. “The tablet is well-packaged with several Apps and it is meant for all our teachers in Oyo State; 18,000 in all. “This training is going to last about two weeks so that no teacher would feign an excuse or pretend not to know how to operate the tablet. “All subjects are included in the tablets. What you only need to do is to open the tab, go to the subject matter and begin to teach our students. “It is indeed a teaching aid and would foster capability of our students to compete nationally and internationally because this mode of learning is not reversible. You can’t sit in the classrooms and be taught in analogue form when the age is digital.” While appreciating all the stakeholders in the educational sector, Governor Makinde enjoined the beneficiaries to complement the efforts of the state government through their commitment and dedication. “So, I have to appreciate BESDA, SUBEB, TESCOM, the Ministry of Education, UBEC and other members of the educational family that have put heads together for our pupils in Oyo State to take advantage of current and technologically advanced methods of teaching,” he added. Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Intervention, Chief Suraj Abiodun Tiamy, said apart from the distribution of the instructional training materials and teaching aids, there would be four weeks training for teachers in sixteen centres across the state. He maintained that the exercise would be monitored to ensure that the schemes of work programmed in the teaching aids were in tandem with the curriculum. He said: “There are two sides to this intervention; we have the distribution of 18,000 tablets to our primary and secondary school teachers across all the local government areas in the state. “The second is the training for 18,000 teachers across all the LGAs. So, we have 16 centres where we are training them with professors from all our universities in Oyo State. “Not only that; we have security for these tablets, we also have the report that we will be conducting on a weekly basis to monitor our teachers to make sure they are teaching our students with the curriculum and all the subjects that are in that tablets, which is aligned to what we have in Oyo State.” In his remarks, Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Nureni Adeniran, said the distribution of the teaching aids would hasten teaching schemes and equally enable teachers to impart knowledge to the pupils and students in primary and junior secondary schools across all the local governments in the state. Adeniran added that the educational intervention programme aimed at ensuring that Oyo State teachers are well-equipped in knowledge through digital learning, saying: “This programme is made possible as a result of the programme called Global Partnership in Education, which is being sponsored by the World Bank, in collaboration with UBEC and SUBEB, and it is aimed at ensuring that our teachers get the necessary skill in digital learning. “We are in a digital age and we are expected to move away from the analogue age. In other words, all these tablets have been built with the lesson plans for some of these subjects in them. “A teacher should be able to teach without necessarily writing separate lesson notes because we already have prepared lesson notes. So, it will hasten learning. “Also, the tablet will enable any person to take the tablet and teach any subject of interest. It will also enable our teachers to impart knowledge to the pupils. “The training is for primary school teachers and some secondary school teachers, which are in the basic level of basic education. “This is the kind of training that is expected to upgrade the skill of our newly recruited teachers in teaching even to meet up with global standards. “And it is going on virtually in all the local government areas. We have centres in different schools. It is across the state.” One of the teachers, Mrs Olufisayo Fajuyigbe, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, thanked Governor Makinde for his efforts in improving the education sector in the state, promising that teachers would continue to support the government and make good use of the instructional training materials and teaching aids to impact meaningfully on the pupils and students in the state. The event had in attendance the South-West Director, Universal Basic Education … Read more

I’ll Sustain Demand For University Autonomy — ASUU President

July 30, 2025 by admin

The current National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, says that he and his administration will sustain the demand for university autonomy. This was even as his immediate predecessor, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that poor treatment of university lecturers is responsible for academics japa. Prof. Christopher Piwuna, who is a Nigerian Professor of Medicine and currently the 14th National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, stated this on Monday during a reception organized for the immediate past President of ASUU by Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike chapter of the union. Prof. Piwuna promised “I will sustain the demand for university autonomy, academic freedom and other general conducive environment for ASUU members”, stating that strike action is a universal tool that can not be taken off the table, but only applied if the government fails to honour its agreements with ASUU.” “ASUU struggle is a collective one that concern the lecturers, students and the parents. Strike is a universal tool that is not perculier to Nigeria alone. It is a toll that is used all over and can not be taken off the table, but we hope that we don’t have to embark on any action before we can get what we want,” he said. Also speaking, the Chairperson of ASUU in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, MOUAU branch, Chike Ugwuene, extolled the former President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, for making MOUAU and the nation proud, adding that there is harmony now between the management of MOUAU and ASUU in Umudike. “He served the nation and made ASUU MOUAU proud by fighting for the the betterment of education system in Nigeria. There is harmony between ASUU MOUAU and the university management. The management is cooperating with us but don’t be surprised that if anything goes wrong, we will still ask for our rights and for the betterment of the society”, she said Receiving the former ASUU President, the Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Professor Maduebibisi Iwe, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor(Academics), Prof. Nneoma Obasi said his university is proud of the roles Prof. Osodeke played as President of ASUU, stating that MOUAU stood by Osodeke “throughout his sleepless nights of endless negotiations.” In his speech, Prof. Osodeke said under his leadership, the union fought several battles to keep education alive during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige. According to him, “Ngige’s rough relationship with ASUU created a lot of confusion in the country,” which he said, would have collapsed the education system if not for ASUU’s resilience. Professor Osodeke said that the poor treatment of university lecturers was responsible for the exodus (japa) of Nigerian academics to the United States, Europe and Saudi Arabia, adding, “We encountered a lot of difficulties during the era of Ex- President Muhammadu Buhari, anchored by Chris Ngige who created a lot of confusion when we were struggling for the good of our education system.” “Our struggles have kept our public Universities where they are today and saved them from collapsing like other public institutions like Nigerian Airways and Nigerian refineries,” and explained that ASUU was able to achieve the removal of Universities from the IPPS system, while a number of Professors now retire with their full pay. He noted that ASUU’s struggle is a collective initiative for the interests of lecturers, students and their parents, regretting, “public universities still offer quality education more than private ones”, stating that 95% of university students’ population in Nigeria are still found in public universities. The Pro Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council of MOUAU, Felix Edeh, represented the Visitor to the University, President Bola Ahmed, while a former National President of ASUU, Isa Nasir Fagee, was the chairman of the occasion. Punch