FG Pleads with ASSU, ASUP to shelve planned strike

The Federal Government has issued a plea to academic unions in universities and polytechnics to cancel their planned industrial action, assuring them that a “holistic” negotiation process is underway to address their grievances.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated that while the government is making concerted efforts to meet the unions’ demands, it will not be rushed into any agreement that has not been properly negotiated.

He urged the unions to be patient and allow the dialogue to run its course, rendering a strike unnecessary.

This appeal comes as major unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), have all issued strike notices. ASUP and SSANIP have each given the government a 21-day ultimatum over unresolved issues, while ASUU recently held a nationwide protest.

Minister Alausa outlined a new approach to the negotiations, explaining that he has expanded the existing Yayale Ahmed committee to include all academic sector unions.

This, he said, is to prevent disjointed, parallel talks and to handle the common demands—such as the renegotiation of conditions of service, wage balances, and NEEDS Assessment funding—in a unified manner.

“We will deal with this in a way that has not been done before; in a holistic manner,” Alausa said. “We will try as much as possible to meet what they want… but it has to be something that government can afford.”

He emphasized the President’s commitment to fulfilling promises but stressed that the government would not sign “bogus agreements” simply to avert a strike.

The goal, he stated, is to resolve the deep-seated issues, some of which are 16 years old, “once and for all.”

The unions’ demands are extensive. ASUU is seeking the conclusion of a renegotiated 2009 agreement, the release of withheld salaries from a previous strike, and funding for university revitalization.

ASUP’s demands include the release of salary review arrears, the implementation of a new allowance circular, and an end to the discrimination against HND holders in the public service.

Despite the ongoing dialogue, with five meetings already scheduled between ASUP and government officials, the unions remain poised to act if their ultimatums expire without a satisfactory resolution.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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