Strike Archives - Citybuzz News

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.

NUPENG Slams Oshiomhole Over Dangote Strike Comments

October 6, 2025 by admin

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on Monday slammed former Nigeria Labour Congress President and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, over his comments on the ongoing industrial dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the management of Dangote Refinery. Oshiomhole, speaking on Arise TV on Friday, faulted the strike declared by PENGASSAN to protest the alleged sackings of over 800 workers at the refinery, describing it as “hasty and unfair to other workers.” “I think that in seeking to protect a particular set of workers, you do not then risk the jobs of several other workers. When you are pursuing a dispute, the tools you deploy must be such that they do not undermine other people’s jobs”, Oshiomhole said. But NUPENG, in a statement jointly signed on Monday by its President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, condemned the former labour leader’s remarks as “a betrayal of the working class struggle” and “a complete distortion of Nigerian labour law.” “We witness with utter disappointment a former labour leader now transformed into a vocal advocate for corporate oppression, actively campaigning against the very rights he once championed. “His attempts to rationalise the victimisation of workers for exercising their fundamental rights of association and peaceful action are not only nauseating but represent a flagrant misrepresentation of Nigerian Labour Law and ILO standards”, the statement partly read. In the statement titled “Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole’s Undistinguished Anti-Worker Vitriol,” NUPENG accused the senator of “historical revisionism and political amnesia.” They also faulted him for turning a blind eye to the mass sack of 800 engineers while choosing to criticise the strike action instead. “Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act, Cap T14, LFN 2004, legally recognises trade disputes, including industrial actions undertaken by workers in sympathy with another group. “PENGASSAN’s solidarity action with their members in Dangote Refinery is therefore a protected legal action. The principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ is the foundational ethic of trade unionism globally”, NUPENG stated. The union said Oshiomhole’s position was “a dangerous toxin designed to weaken the resolve of the working class and strengthen the class enemy,” likening him to “the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian trade unionism.” “Shockingly, this was a man who served several times in the Governing Council of ILO and in the Committee on Application of Standards that receives reports on violations of workers’ rights across the world. “It is unfortunate that Senator Adams Oshiomhole has, by his comments, demonstrated a monumental ignorance of trade unionism”, the union added. Declaring him as persona non grata within the oil and gas sector, NUPENG announced it would no longer participate in any labour event featuring the senator. “In conclusion, the leadership of NUPENG hereby declares Senator Adams Oshiomhole persona non grata within the ranks of Nigerian oil and gas workers,” the statement said. “Henceforth, we will not participate in or lend legitimacy to any event featuring Senator Oshiomhole. The NLC, TUC, and civil society organisations should take notice.” The union reaffirmed its solidarity with PENGASSAN and vowed to pursue justice for the affected workers using “every legal and industrial instrument available in compliance with Nigerian law and global labour standards.”

BREAKING: NNPC, NUPRC, NMDPRA Shut As PENGASSAN Begins Strike

September 29, 2025 by admin

The nationwide strike declared by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria on Monday paralysed operations at key oil and gas regulatory institutions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The industrial action, which followed the weekend directive by the union’s National Executive Council, saw members across the country withdrawing their services, effectively shutting down critical agencies that drive Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Our correspondent observed that at the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, the main gate was firmly locked, leaving several employees stranded outside the premises. Security operatives on duty confirmed that no staff were allowed entry, in line with the strike directive issued by the union. Similarly, activities at the NMDPRA headquarters in the busy Central Business District were completely grounded as workers fully complied with the industrial action. Confirming the situation, the PENGASSAN Chairman in NMDPRA, Tony Iziogba, told The PUNCH that the union had achieved “100 per cent compliance,” effectively restricting access to staff and visitors. He added that his colleagues had also enforced 100 per cent compliance at the NNPCL and other relevant agencies. PENGASSAN said the strike became inevitable after the alleged wrongful dismissal of about 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The union’s directive to halt crude oil and gas supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has sent shockwaves through the energy sector, with oil marketers warning of severe disruptions in fuel distribution. This move is expected to choke the domestic market, driving up demand and prices. On Sunday, PENGASSAN announced a nationwide strike, instructing all its members in various offices, companies, institutions, and agencies to cease all services starting at 12:01 am on Monday, September 29, 2025. The union also directed members stationed in various field locations to down tools from 6:00 am on Sunday, September 28, and commence a round-the-clock prayer vigil. In a strongly worded resolution signed by PENGASSAN General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the union accused the refinery of violating Nigerian labour laws and International Labour Organisation conventions by sacking workers for joining the union. It alleged the dismissed workers had been replaced by foreigners. “All processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be halted immediately,” the resolution declared. “All IOC (International Oil Companies) branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals.” The development has heightened fears of fuel scarcity and blackouts, as NNPC remains the sole importer of petrol while the midstream and downstream authority regulates supply and distribution. Similarly, NUPRC is responsible for monitoring crude production and enforcing gas supply obligations to power plants. All eyes are now on Monday’s emergency meeting convened by the Minister of Labour. Whether dialogue can restore calm or whether Nigeria plunges deeper into crisis may depend on the willingness of both sides to compromise.

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.

Minimum Wage : Labour, States Engage In Last-Minute Discussions Ahead Of Monday’s Strike.

November 29, 2024 by admin

The remaining states yet to implement the N70,000 minimum wage for workers are making last-minute moves to ensure the Nigeria Labour Congress does not embark on strike on Monday, December 1, The PUNCH has learnt. The states yet to approve the monthly wage are Katsina, Cross River and Zamfara, after the Imo State Government sanctioned the implementation of the N70,000 wage on Tuesday. It means 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory have now complied with the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act. Many states agreed to pay above the N70,000 starting point with Lagos and Rivers offering the highest pay with N85,000. Lagos also announced that its workers could smile to the bank with up to N100,000 monthly from the first quarter of 2025. Workers in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Oyo and Niger will earn N80,000 while Delta and Ogun states approved N77,000. Ebonyi, Osun, Benue and Kebbi states approved N75,000; Ondo, N73,000; Kogi and Kaduna, N72,000; Kano and Gombe, N71,000. Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Jigawa, Borno, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ekiti, Bauchi, Yobe, Imo and Plateau states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, all settled for N70,000. But despite the NLC’s warnings, trio Katsina, Zamfara and Cross River have yet to implement the new wage, which could lead to a shutdown of activities in the affected states from Monday. On Monday, labour unions in Cross River, who are demanding a new wage of N70,000 from the state government, directed state civil servants to embark on a two-day warning strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage. The warning strike was signed by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress. This followed a staged walkout from a scheduled meeting held on November 18 with state government officials, who formed members of the wage implementation committee at the office of the state’s Head of Service, Innocent Eteng, in Calabar, the state capital. According to the labour leaders, last week, when the committee sat for the first time, the meeting ended in a stalemate when they perceived delayed tactics by the government to postpone the meeting to January. The state’s civil servants said they were utterly disappointed when Governor Bassey Otu announced a new minimum wage of N40,000 on May 1, during the International Workers Day celebration at the U.J Essueine Stadium in Calabar. Otu said that due to the state’s lean resources, caused by the statutory federal allocation aggravated by the unfavourable state Gross Domestic Product, the new minimum wage of N40,000 would be in line with realities rather than sentiments. While giving instances of Edo, Lagos, Rivers and other governors, the workers said they were of high hope before the unexpected announcement of N40,000. The strike action, which was signed by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, was set to commence from November 24 midnight to 26, 2024. ‘No going back’ The Cross River State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Gregory Ulayi, toild The PUNCH that the union would embark on an indefinite strike if the state government failed to implement the new minimum wage for the workers. He noted that the two-day warning strike was embarked upon by workers in the state between Monday and Tuesday, which he described as a call to action to the government. Ulayi said that after the two-day warning strike, all workers were mandated to return to work as they waited to hear from the state government. “If the government does not negotiate and do the needful, we will embark on a total strike because it is a directive across the country,” Ulayi told The PUNCH However, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Otu, Nsa Gill, told our correspondent that the state government had set up a committee to negotiate with the labour leaders, as part of last-ditch efforts to prevent the looming strike on Monday. He said that despite the nationwide deadline for the implementation of the minimum wage, the Otu-led government was working to ensure payment of a minimum wage of N70,000 or even above. “The state government has a negotiating team and they are at work. Though, they are yet to reach an agreement as at today (Thursday). The government is ready to pay the N70,000 new minimum wage, if not beyond,” he stated. “We recognise the fact that there is a national deadline from the labour union, which is slated for December 1, 2024, for all the states to pay the new minimum wage. “We are trying to see how to build a stronger economic foundation that can make us pay a living wage to our civil servants. Until the team finishes the negotiation, the amount will not be announced. Right now, they are still on the negotiation table for an amicable resolution.” Katsina State is also likely to face labour’s wrath after its failure to implement the compulsory new wage bill for the state workers. Multiple sources in the NLC secretariat in Katsina, the state capital, told our correspondent on Thursday that the state was yet to approve the payment. Last month, The PUNCH reported that the Katsina State Government inaugurated a 15-member committee to guide the implementation of a new minimum wage of N70,000. Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal, while inaugurating the committee, said the government was aware of the hardship being faced by civil servants in the state. “You are all aware that His Excellency, the Governor, Mallam Dikko Umar Radda, has set up a committee to implement the N70,000 minimum wage consequential adjustment to all categories of workers in the state. “This includes the state civil servants, the Local Government employees and other categories of workers. The government is aware of the hardship being encountered by the civil servants,” he stated. Led by Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari, the committee was given three weeks to present strategies and recommendations, including the consequential adjustments for all categories of workers. The committee includes prominent state officials such as the Head of Civil Service, Falalu Bawale; the state Commissioners for Finance, Budget … Read more

Patients Struggle At UCH, Gates Close As Strike Disrupts Services

October 30, 2024 by admin

Following the seven day warning strike embarked on by Joint Health Workers Unions, JOHESU, patients at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan have appealed to government to negotiate with the Health Workers to end the Strike. The patients made the appeal while speaking with newsmen at the Hospital. Mr Matthew Ademola and Madam Aina Balogun said they couldn’t get medical attention at the Diagnosis centers as medical laboratory workers were not on ground to attend to them. It was observed that the entrance gate to some areas in the hospital were shut. In an interview, Chairman Joint Health Sector Unions, UCH, Mr Oladayo Olabampe said that the strike was only observed in Federal Health Institutions Mr Olabampe pointed out that their demands included the immediate upward review of CONHESS Salary as it was done to CONMESS in 2014, Tax Waiver on allowance, upward review of retirement age of health workers to 65 years and 70 years for consultant among others . Mr Olabampe who is also the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals in Oyo State noted that their demands is over due and if government failed to respond to their demands, the union would embark on indefinite strike. The Seven day warning strike commenced on Saturday last week .

Strike: SSANU, NASU Shut Down Universities Nationwide

October 28, 2024 by admin

Universities across the country, especially those owned by the federal government, were on Monday shut down by non-academic staff under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions, NASU. The step followed the decision of the national leaders of the two unions that their members should start an indefinite industrial action as a result of the failure of the government to pay them four months of their salaries that were withheld following the 2022 strike by university workers. Situation in UNILAG The Branch Chairman of SSANU, the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Comrade Olugbenga Adenaiya, told Vanguard that the development was in line with the directive from their national leaders. “This morning, we held a congress where our members decided to follow the directive of the national leadership. It was unanimously agreed that the strike would be total and indefinite. We cannot be treated like slaves in our country. Remember that we went on strike early this year and it was suspended because the government promised to pay us the withheld salaries, but that has not been the case. “It is just a matter of continuing the strike we suspended the other time. All offices and essential services provided by SSANU and NASU members have been put on hold until further notice,” he said. The development came on the day the university was supposed to start academic activities for the 2024/2025 academic session. Probably in anticipation of this, the management of the university had earlier said lectures would run online for some weeks. Activities in limbo at FUTA Speaking in a telephone chat with Vanguard, the Chairman of SSANU, Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, Ondo State, Comrade Felix Adubi, also said the non-teaching staff in the institution have heeded the call to go on strike. “We held our congress this morning and it was resolved that we go on strike as directed by our national body. The government cannot say we have not tried enough. We went on strike, just like the teaching staff also did and you have paid some of the withheld salaries of academic staff and what about us? “The saying is that what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. We won’t budge until our demands are met. The government is yet to address some issues raised in our earlier interactions with them, then this discriminatory stance of petting some people and treating others as inconsequential. We are not going to take it easy with them,” he said. UniAbuja SSANU, NASU in crucial meeting Members of SSANU and NASU at the University of Abuja were on duty and going about their normal activities on Monday despite the nationwide strike declared by the unions’ national bodies. Recall that the two bodies on Sunday called on members to begin an indefinite nationwide strike within campuses of public universities to demand the immediate release of their four months’ withheld salaries. In a statement co-signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the two unions said it was appalling that despite several ultimatums issued to the government, no positive result has come in. To this end, they directed their members in all public universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to “hold a joint congress in their respective campuses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and proceed on an indefinite, comprehensive and total strike action as no concession should be given in any guise”. But members of the unions were at work on Monday even as the executive members were seen holding congress, considered to be in adherence to the directive of the national bodies of the unions. It was learnt that the chapters would direct members to proceed on indefinite strike by the directives of national bodies later. As of the time of filing this report, no strike directives had been issued as members were at their duty posts. Contacted to comment on the development, the university’s Director of Public Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, confirmed that the strike had not been declared in the university by the two bodies. He said: ”Well, as I speak with you now, I am in my office and some people are here. “But you know today is when the University of Abuja branch of SSANU is going to have a congress to formally declare the strike. Now, whether they have eventually declared the strike in line with the directive of the national body or not is not what I can probably share with you because they are still having the meeting. But at the moment, staff are in their various offices working. I’m here with my staff but that is not out of place since they have not formally declared the strike. They are still having a meeting here.” Recall also that on September 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU handed the government a three-week ultimatum to pay the outstanding withheld salaries of their members or risk an industrial action. Prior to that both unions had staged several protests and warning strikes to protest their withheld salaries by the government. Recall that in 2022, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, SSANU, NASU and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, went on strike. ASUU for eight months, SSANU, NASU and NAAT for about five and a half months. However, during the tenure of the immediate past Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, academic staff were paid four months of the withheld salaries, with the promise to also pay others. Mamman had then said that the government would only pay half of the salaries, but nothing has been paid to non-teaching staff up until now, despite presidential directive. Vanguard

NAFDAC Workers Embark On Indefinite Strike

October 7, 2024 by admin

The strike follows multiple meetings with NAFDAC management which failed to yield desired outcomes regarding critical issues affecting staff. Some of the issues include a review of the 2024 promotion examination results, the appointment of directors for public affairs/special duties, training institute, and reform of promotion examination content. Others are the creation of a psychology officer cadre by HOS circular, payment of all pending burial expenses, life insurance and repatriation allowance, and salary arrears for 2022 employees. In a statement, Ejor Michael, TUC secretary, said the workers had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the agency’s management in a communique dated September 20, 2024. The statement said another congress of NAFDAC staff was convened on October 4, following the expiration of the ultimatum. “After careful deliberation, Congress unanimously resolved to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike across all NAFDAC formations, commencing Monday, 7th October 2024,” the statement reads. “In view of the foregoing, you are hereby directed to down tools by withdrawing all your services in compliance with the strike action. We will not relent until all issues are satisfactorily addressed.”

ASUU Threatens Fresh Strike Over Hardship

October 2, 2024 by admin

The University of Ibadan Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday stated that the hardship being faced by public university workers are getting unbearable. The chairman of the chapter, Professor Ayoola Akinwole stated this in a release to mark the 64th independence anniversary of Nigeria entitled Nigeria At 64; A State In Need Of Deliverance From The Leadership Of Perpetual Have-Nots” He stated that the Union has been very understanding by issuing ultimatum to government while federal government has been lackadaisical to it adding that another 14-day ultimatum is about to end within which government should meet the demands of the union to preserve the relative peace on public university campuses in the country. According to Professor Akinwole, “many (Lecturers) ran away to other countries; many died as a result of financial debility; those who cannot run away got into debt just to survive while many resigned to take another job in private sector.” The ASUU boss stated that “in the sixty-four years of the Nigeria’s independent existence, education and the state of the nation are both in downward spiral, owing to the dwindling fortunes in the quality of politicians steering the ship of the country’s government”. Political leaders and holders of executive positions be it at local government, States and Federal levels, whose answers to any request from workers especially in the education sector (and the Nigerian citizens) has always been “government have not the resources to meet the demands of the unions”. While noting that Nigeria’s problems are due to the major neglect of its educational sector, Professor Akinwole maintained that without the necessary tools, improved welfare package for the lecturers and a conducive work environment, the university system will not be able to deliver on her mandates. The ASUU chairman admonished president Tinubu “to desist from singing the unpleasant and baseless “have-nots” song but brace up to resolve the outstanding issues pertaining to university education as raised by ASUU, inject funds into the education sector for revitalization, improve the remuneration of academics, and address the economic crisis in the country.” He warned that if the trend of hardships facing nigerians is not halted it will culminate into multidimensional insecurity adding that it is “more worrisome that amidst these economic woes of the people, the government is channelling its expenditure to areas like purchasing new Presidential jet and presidential Cadillac Escalade” “The quality of lives of the ordinary Nigerians has precipitously declined, and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is daily expanding; the rich continue to get stupendously richer while the poor are absolutely getting poorer. The so-called middle class has since been wiped off by the increasing weight of dependents in a society that prioritizes “palliatives” over and above the empowerment of the poor. So, while the masses suffocate from the adverse consequences of the neoliberal socio-economic policies of the government, members of the ruling class revel in questionable wealth that makes nonsense of the anti-corruption crusade. If the trend is not arrested, part of the imploding consequences will be that Nigerians can no longer eat well or sleep well and the pervasive poverty will have entrenched a multidimensional insecurity with the associated consequences. While the Nigerian masses are in multi-dimensional poverty government spent billions on cars for Senators and house of representative members, awarding white elephant projects, a fraction of these questionable spending will solve most of the problems of the education sector and lay the foundation for Nigeria’s economic growth.”

Breaking: ASUU Commence Indefinite Strike

September 21, 2024 by admin

The statement emphasized that the decision to embark on a “total and comprehensive indefinite strike” was made after several attempts at negotiation yielded no results. Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Imo State University (IMSU) chapter, on Friday, September 20, 2024, declared an indefinite strike to push for the resolution of long-standing issues related to their benefits. In a joint statement signed by the Chairperson and Secretary of ASUU-IMSU, Comrade Odinakachukwu Ejiogu and Comrade Lazarus Chikwendu, the union expressed frustration over the failure of authorities to address concerns that have persisted for several years. The statement emphasized that the decision to embark on a “total and comprehensive indefinite strike” was made after several attempts at negotiation yielded no results. The statement read, “We are embarking on a total and comprehensive indefinite strike effective from Friday, 20th September. The decision stems from several unresolved issues persisting for years.” “We demand an end to promotion without financial benefits since 2016, ASUU-IMSU staff salary disparity with other tertiary institutions, undue delay in staff assessment and promotion, selective salary payment, and non-payment of arrears of salaries”. “Non-payment of earned academic allowance since 2009, non-remittance of Union check off/welfare dues from 2020-2021, non-remittance of pension deduction from May 2016 to date, non-payment of annual increment in salaries, the inclusion of IMSU into Treasury Single Account, funding of the University and erosion of the University autonomy.” It said, “We have made several attempts through letters, rallies, meetings and press releases and no concrete action has been taken by the university administration, governing council, and the visitor to the university”. “We issued 21 days’ notice on the 18th of July this year so that the University could resolve all the issues but no solution came. We were compelled to proceed on indefinite strike to press home our demands.” However, they called for the understanding and support of the public as they stand for justice improved conditions and a brighter future for the university.