By; Akinsola Ayomide
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has officially called off its ongoing two-week warning strike after a series of talks with the Federal Government. This announcement was made on Wednesday by the National President of the union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, during a press briefing in Abuja. According to Piwuna, the decision followed an overnight meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC), which ended around 4:00 a.m.
He explained that the union decided to review the strike after what he described as “useful engagements” with government representatives.“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike,” he said.
Prof. Piwuna noted that while significant progress had been made, the union recognized the efforts of students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who pushed for dialogue between both sides.“Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians,” he added.
ASUU had declared the two-week warning strike on October 13, citing the government’s delay in addressing key issues that have lingered for years. The union’s demands include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, payment of withheld three and a half months’ salaries, revitalisation of public universities, release of promotion arrears, and the cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.ASUU is also pushing for the settlement of 25–35% salary arrears, the release of withheld third-party deductions, and sustained funding to improve the standard of public universities across the country.
While the suspension offers temporary relief to students and parents, many hope that this development marks the beginning of a more stable academic calendar in Nigerian universities.
