The proposed meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities initially scheduled for today, has been postponed to Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
The meeting was supposed to address several unresolved issues, notably, emergency revitalisation fund of public universities, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, and release of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions of ASUU members. The new date for the meeting is
The conclusion of the last meeting prompted Tinubu in 13th of October, 2023, to approve a partial waiver of the no-work-no-pay order on striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities alongside other academic unions, and also ordered the release of salaries withheld for four months.
Then, the President’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement, said that the waiver was granted invoking the principle of the presidential prerogative of mercy, and in recognition of the faithful implementation of terms that were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Ngelale stated that the waiver “will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union”.
The ASUU strike, which began on February 14, 2022, and ended on October 17, 2022, was the longest in the union’s history.
It would be recalled that the strike was declared over demands for improved funding for universities, increased salaries for lecturers, and better working conditions by the striking union
The Federal Government’s postponement of the meeting today may escalate tensions and bring the sector closer to another round of industrial action.
