The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has been advocating for increased funding for the education sector and improved welfare for its members, appears poised to initiate a nationwide strike as their 14-day ultimatum draws to a close on Sunday.
Reports indicate that members of the union at the University of Jos staged a protest on Tuesday, calling on the Federal Government to take swift action to avert the impending industrial action.
The protest disrupted second-semester exams at UNIJOS as union members marched and sang solidarity songs across the university campus, carrying placards with various demands, including the payment of promotion arrears, adequate funding for universities, and the signing of the Nimi Briggs MOA, among others.
The protesters were joined by university students in a show of solidarity. Following the protest, they gathered at the university’s Senate building, where they presented their demands to the senior management team, including the Vice Chancellor and Registrar.
ASUU’s Vice Chairman at the university, Prof. Kiri Jaryum, leading the protest, emphasized the suffering and maltreatment endured by union members due to the government’s inaction on their demands. He stressed that the union would not tolerate further neglect from the government beyond the expiration of their ultimatum.
Jaryum handed over a 9-point demand letter to the Vice Chancellor, outlining the union’s grievances, such as the payment of earned academic allowances, provision of revitalization funds, and resolution of issues with the IPPIS platform.
In response, the Vice Chancellor expressed appreciation for the peaceful demonstration and affirmed his support for ASUU’s demands. He pledged to include an additional demand regarding electricity tariffs in the university’s submission to the Federal Government.
Earlier, ASUU had issued a threat of a nationwide strike, giving the government a two-week ultimatum to reconstitute the governing councils of federal universities. Although the government announced the formation of new governing councils, ASUU rejected the gesture, insisting that their demands had not been met.