Says full-blown strike may be inevitable

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ibadan Zone, on Friday warned that a nationwide strike may be unavoidable following what it described as the Federal Government’s discouraging handling of its ongoing industrial dispute.

Addressing journalists at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, the Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Biodun Olaniran, accused government officials of misleading Nigerians while frustrating the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement.

Olaniran said contrary to public claims, the union’s core demand remained the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led committee to produce a new, realistic salary structure to replace CONUASS, which he noted had been eroded by years of galloping inflation.

ASUU had embarked on a two-week warning strike on October 13, 2025, which was suspended five days before its expiration following interventions by students, parents, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the media and other critical stakeholders. The union subsequently granted a one-month window for the conclusion of the renegotiation process, in line with the NLC’s ultimatum to the government.

Representatives of the Ibadan Zone include the University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, LAUTECH, Osun State University, Kwara State University and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education. Olaniran addressed the briefing alongside the chairpersons of the respective branches.

He said the union had expected the government to demonstrate commitment to national development and technological advancement by working within the agreed timeline. Instead, he alleged, the Federal Government was treating the matter with levity, adding that only “misinformation, disinformation and propaganda” had been recorded eight days to the expiration of the window.

While acknowledging the partial release of four-year promotion arrears and some third-party deductions, the union insisted these gestures did not amount to meeting ASUU’s demands.

Olaniran disclosed that the union’s National Executive Council, which met at Taraba State University on November 8 and 9, reviewed the state of engagement with the Federal Government and state university visitors, noting that insecurity and economic hardship were worsening conditions for academic staff nationwide.

He said unless the government urgently offered a competitive salary structure, another disruption of academic calendars across public universities might be unavoidable.

According to him, the counter-offers presented by the government through the Yayale Ahmed Committee were “inappropriate and unacceptable,” especially to academics who had earned the same salaries for sixteen years. He added that the offer fell below what many West African countries paid their lecturers, even as Nigerian politicians remained among the highest paid on the continent.

The ASUU zonal leader further lamented that three and a half months’ salaries withheld from federal university lecturers over the 2022 strike had yet to be released, while many state universities were still owing withheld salaries, promotion arrears and Earned Academic Allowances.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Osun State University has yet to release the withheld salaries of our members from 2018 and 2020 as well as arrears of the reduced 2015–2019 EAA,” he said. “The story is the same at LAUTECH, where EAA and promotion arrears are outstanding, while KWASU has not benefitted from EAA at all.”

Describing the situation as “anti-progress, anti-labour and inhumane,” ASUU demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all withheld payments, warning that failure to do so could plunge the nation’s universities into yet another round of industrial crisis.

The post FG yet to meet our main demand — ASUU first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post FG yet to meet our main demand — ASUU appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The worrying development was brought to light during a press conference held by ASUU on Friday, where officials of the union detailed the various challenges faced by academic staff at the institution.

Speaking on behalf of the union, Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Bauchi Zone, Namo Timothy, lamented the lack of proper policies to retain top scholars, pointing out the absence of a formal employee exit policy.

“Many of our best scholars have been forced to seek better opportunities elsewhere,” Timothy said, adding that “SAZU has no pension or death benefit scheme in place, as obtained in the structured public service regulation in the country.”

He further explained that the lack of such provisions leaves academic staff insecure about their future. “Without a pension or death benefit scheme, our members feel unsafe and unsure of their long-term prospects,” Timothy remarked.

In addition to these grievances, the union condemned the university’s administration for its failure to pay over 650 million naira in accumulated entitlements, including earned academic allowances and honorariums for internal examiners. This has further deepened the discontent among staff members.

“Despite the university generating significant revenue from postgraduate programs, our members have not been compensated for their contributions,” Timothy disclosed.

The union also raised concerns over the sharp increase in student fees, coupled with the administration’s neglect of staff training and development.

Timothy criticised the university for imposing over a 100 percent hike in fees for regular undergraduate programmes, yet failing to address staff welfare.

“The university claims it lacks funds to pay our members, yet it continues to impose higher charges on students,” he stated.

ASUU also expressed displeasure with the continued tenure of the current Pro-Chancellor, who has remained in office since the university’s inception.

The union called for adherence to established regulations governing appointments, arguing that the prolonged tenure has stifled accountability and hindered the implementation of progressive policies.

In light of these critical issues, ASUU urged the Bauchi State Government and other stakeholders to take immediate action to address staff welfare, calling for the establishment of a comprehensive exit policy and the payment of overdue allowances.

“Unless these issues are resolved, we cannot guarantee industrial harmony within SAZU,” Timothy warned.

He further called on the state government to declare a state of emergency at the university to ensure that all contentious matters are urgently addressed, securing the future of both academic staff and the institution.

The post Mass Exodus: 30 PhD Holders Flee Bauchi Varsity Amid ASUU’s Alarm on Poor Conditions first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Mass Exodus: 30 PhD Holders Flee Bauchi Varsity Amid ASUU’s Alarm on Poor Conditions appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

...workers worse hit by worsening economic situation

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, Professor Ayoola Akinwole, has implored President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and state governors to make the welfare and working conditions of Nigerian workers a top priority.

Speaking on Tuesday, Professor Akinwole emphasised the dire impact of Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, particularly exacerbated by the recent fuel subsidy removal backlash and ongoing fuel scarcity, on the working class and their families.

In a statement released to commemorate the 2024 May Day celebration, Akinwole underscored the invaluable contributions of Nigerian workers to the nation’s development, despite enduring undervaluation and inadequate compensation from both government and private sectors.

“Nigerians, particularly the working class, are celebrating 2024 Workers’ day experiencing fuel scarcity,” lamented Professor Akinwole.

“Workers who are poorly paid will still have to pay hiked transportation fare. The inflation in Nigeria is killing, and many are getting malnourished as the cost of food items have skyrocketed.”

He highlighted the disillusionment stemming from unfulfilled promises by federal and state governments to improve wages and working conditions, condemning the stark disparity between government officials’ wealth accumulation and workers’ impoverishment.

Expressing gratitude to Nigerian security forces for their service, Professor Akinwole urged President Tinubu to ensure special welfare provisions for families of those who have lost their lives defending the nation.

He emphasised that just as education is vital, the welfare of security agencies should be of utmost concern to the president.

Also, Professor Akinwole called upon the President to finalise agreements with ASUU and enhance working conditions for intellectuals in Nigeria, warning of a brain drain if lecturers continue to face inadequate compensation and poor working environments.

“If this trend persists, Nigeria will lose the talent needed to develop the education sector, while those lacking skills will secure employment with little to contribute,” cautioned Akinwole.

He urged the president to address this disparity and collaborate with ASUU to establish a living wage and improved conditions for public university lecturers, recognising them as essential patriots deserving of special consideration.

The post May Day: ASUU urges Tinubu, governors to prioritise Nigerian workers’ welfare first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post May Day: ASUU urges Tinubu, governors to prioritise Nigerian workers’ welfare appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The President, addressing the audience at the National Economic Summit 2023 in Abuja, delivered assurances to Nigerian students, declaring that the era of frequent strikes would soon be history.

“In January 2024, we will launch the new student loan. For the future of our children and students, we are committed to ending strikes,” he emphasised.

To commemorate June 12, President Tinubu enacted the student loan bill, a commitment he had made during his campaign.

The bill, introduced by the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who now serves as the Chief of Staff to the President, aims to provide easy access to higher education for financially disadvantaged Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

Funds for the programme will be administered by the Ministry of Education and exclusively accessible to financially disadvantaged students in tertiary institutions.

This recent development on Monday followed Tinubu’s decision to rescind the ‘no-work, no pay policy’ imposed by the previous administration on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

University lecturers had initiated an eight-month strike to advocate for their demands, including improved funding for educational institutions.”

The post Student Loan Programme Takes Off in January 2024 – Tinubu first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Student Loan Programme Takes Off in January 2024 – Tinubu appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has voiced its growing concern over the recent surge in tuition fees at universities across the country, citing fears that it may force many students out of school.

Several public universities have raised their tuition fees in response to what they have described as the challenging economic conditions in Nigeria.

While some institutions have slightly reduced their fees following student protests, the National President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has expressed apprehension that these fee hikes could pose significant challenges for parents and guardians in meeting their children’s educational expenses.

In his words, while featuring on Channels Television’s  Sunday Politics monitored by Mega Icon Magazine, Osodeke said, “Today, universities are arbitrarily increasing tuition fees.

“Is that correct in an environment today where the minimum wage is N30,000 per month and where they have to pay rent and pay heavily for transportation? And you are enforcing this thing on the students?

As a result of this – I can assure you that you can check if nothing is done about this heavy fee being introduced all over the country today – in the next two or three years, more than 40 to 50 percent of these students who are in school would drop out. ”

Professor Osodeke has emphasized that if students are unable to afford the increased fees, they may be susceptible to becoming tools for those who seek to destabilize the country. This vulnerability, he asserts, could contribute to making the nation “ungovernable.”

“That is what we are saying: create the environment we had in the ’60s and ’70s,” the ASUU chief said.

“When I was a student, the government was paying me for being a student. Let’s have an environment where the children of the poor can have access to education, not closing them. If you say school fees of N300,000, how can the children of somebody who earns N50,000 a month be able to pay such fee?”

In an effort to address this pressing issue, Professor Osodeke has called upon the Federal Government to take immediate action by substantially increasing its allocation to the education sector.

He urged the government to raise the educational budget to a minimum of 15 percent of the total budget, a significant increase from the previous year’s allocation of 3.8 percent.

The ASUU president’s plea comes at a time when stakeholders are increasingly concerned about the affordability of higher education in Nigeria.

The rising cost of education has raised fears of reduced access to quality education and the potential ramifications for the nation’s future.

The ASUU’s call for a significant budgetary increase underscores the urgency of the situation and the need to ensure that education remains accessible to all eligible Nigerian students, irrespective of their financial backgrounds.

The government’s response to this appeal will be closely watched as the nation grapples with these critical education-related challenges.

The post ASUU Expresses Concern Over Tuition Fee Hike in Nigerian Universities first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post ASUU Expresses Concern Over Tuition Fee Hike in Nigerian Universities appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

……says the lives of Nigerians should matter to Tinubu

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the University of Ibadan Chapter on Thursday asked the Inspector General of Police Alkali Baba to assist the Oyo State Police Command with all logistics support needed to unravel and arrest the killers of Professor Opeyemi Isaac Ajewole of the Department of Social and environmental forestry Development of the Premier University.

Professor Ajewole was gruesomely gunned down by yet-to-be-identified assailants on the evening of Monday, 5 June 2023, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

In a release signed by the Chairman UI Chapter of ASUU, Professor Ayo Akinwole, the Union tasked President Bola Tinubu to take a passionate interest and ensure the security system unmasks the faces behind the murder of the Professor of forest economics and urban forestry.

“The hearts of every ASUU-UI member are bleeding so profusely as if pierced by swords. Our bones shook so tremendously as if our marrows were naked in the tundra region. We condemn in totality the gruesome murder of our comrade, Professor Opeyemi Isaac Ajewole, and charge the security operatives to track down and apprehend the perpetrators of this dastardly act, to unravelbringive behind the incident as well as bring the perpetrators to book.”

According to Akinwole, the only tribute that the death of Professor Ajewole deserves is that his killers are brought to justice and that Nigerians’ lives should matter to the Tinubu presidency

He noted that “Professor Ajewole’s gruesome murder again reminds us of how valueless human lives have become in our clime.”

The ASUU boss maintained that “death lurks in all imaginable and unimaginable corners of this country and comes cheaply. The Nigerian populace is constantly assailed by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, assassination, hunger, unemployment, and many more insidious exterminators of our individual and collective dreams”.

Professor Akinwole stated further that “the situation of the Nigerian academics is even doubly precarious; they are prophets without any honour at home. Despite their immense contributions to national growth and development and recognition in the international circle, Nigerian academia is scorned and shabbily treated by the Nigerian state and the public for being unrepentant patriots. It is, therefore, disheartening that academics who cultivate, preserve, and disseminate knowledge for the advancement and development of society will become victims of societal malady to such an extent as to be targeted for elimination.
The Union wishes to use this teary occasion of Professor Ajewole’s sudden death to call on the Nigerian state to resolutely tackle the problem of insecurity in the country, apprehend the killers of Professor Ajewole and punish them most appropriately. This is the least tribute that this nation can pay to our fallen hero and friend- Professor Opeyemi Isaac Ajewole.”

The post ASUU to Tinubu, IGP: Arrest killers of Professor Ajewole first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post ASUU to Tinubu, IGP: Arrest killers of Professor Ajewole appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The six months roll-over strike changed to a total and indefinite strike on August 29, 2022, when President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) jettisoned collective bargaining and handed over autocratic awards, all of which the promisee is to await its (un)likely inclusion in the 2023 budget by the promiser. Lecturers and public varsities are expected to wait till the end of the first quarter of 2023 for the first item to get implemented. This is coming from a government with a proven capacity to fail agreements. PMB failed to meet set timelines in the Memorandum of Action (MOA) signed with the Union on December 22, 2020. After the failure, then ASUU president, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi wrote the Chief of Staff to President Buhari on March 3, 2021, to complain about how the office of Accountant General of the Federation was frustrating the Union. The Union warned that not meeting the MOA may stoke tension and threaten industrial harmony.

How did we get here and do Nigerians care where and how their children are taught? After the Goodluck Jonathan administration conducted the 2012 Needs Assessment which showed the rot in Nigeria’s public universities, the federal government resolved to provide funds for the revitalization of the University system for six years totaling 1.3trillion naira. The amount is for revamping the universities and it is managed by the university administration, not ASUU as the government has been misinforming the public to believe. It was designed to be paid for six years: 2013 (200billion), 2014 (220billion), 2015 (220billion), 2016 (220billion), 2017 (220billion), 2018 (220billion). After the strike, the Jonathan administration released the first tranche of 200billion in 2013. Politics consumed 2014 and Universities got no revitalization funds. Since PMB came in 2015 (seven years), the administration has only released 50billion naira out of 220billion meant for 2014! PMB government claimed it cannot release 220billion once, and agreed with the Union that it should pay 55billion quarterly and end it in a year but this government failed again! The 50 billion that was paid was not even released once and it took strike threats for them to pay. The same government is now saying the balance of 170billion will be included in the 2023 budget and implemented around May 2023.

ASUU gave the government ample time to act but power intoxication would not let those in the corridors of power behave responsibly. The government which owes lecturers over eight years of verified arrears of earned academic allowances is now saying the amount will be put in the 2023 budget and will be paid after PMB leaves office in 2023. On this item alone, this government and the current National Assembly promised to put the earned academic allowances in the 2022 budget. They failed to do so.

With regards to the renegotiated agreements, the government left democracy and came to the table with autocracy and expected the Union of intellectuals to be bullied into jettisoning collective bargaining. Government awarded salaries that will make a professor who has spent 10 years and above have an additional N60,000 to the current miserable salary of a Nigerian professor of ten years and above (N416,000) which is not up to $1000. In 2009 when the agreement being renegotiated was signed, the value of what a professor earned was around $3000. The 2009 agreement detailed how ASUU sacrificed a better African average salary for a lower salary scale (Table II) based on the plea by the government that the economy cannot support that competitive salary. The report says that “the Re-negotiation Committee noted that Nigerian University Academics represent the critical mass of scholars in the society, with the potential for transforming it. They, therefore, deserve a unique condition of service that would motivate them, like the intellectuals in other parts of the world, to attain greater efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery about teaching, research, and community service, and thereby stem the brain drain. In line with this philosophy, the Re-negotiation Committee obtained information relating to the movement of Nigerian Academics to other African countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Botswana as well as developed countries. The figure in Table 1 relevant African average that is, the average remuneration of Academics in selected African Countries with which Nigeria potential or effectively competes for the recruitment of Academic Staff.” It was said that future negotiations of salaries would begin from Table 1. But now, Government is saying no to negotiations. You either take 60,000 or forget it. Even as bad as this autocratic imposition is, its implementation too will be next year after the elections. Peace eludes a nation that elevates injustice as the norm, it deprives them of development and breeds violence and corruption as a way of life.  

We complain that South African universities are doing better and want our universities to compete with them but we ‘support’ our politicians to fund their children’s education abroad with collective resources but blame ASUU who is fighting for the children of the masses to have access to publicly funded quality education. In Ugandan public varsities (as at 2021), Assistant Lecturer earned $1,631; Senior lecturer ($2,432), Associate Professor ($3,891) and Professor ($4,054) per month respectively. In University of South Africa, Junior lecturer earns (N10, 453, 326 – N17,427,663), Lecturer (N12,547,744-N20,910,248), Senior Lecturer (N16,272,983 – N27,891,819), Associate Professor (N20,224,232 – N32,564,902) and Professor (N22,325,844 – N37,209,741) per annum. This is reviewed periodically with other incentives. If you see a south African scholar in Nigerian universities, the fellow must be on an externally funded fellowship. We cannot attract people from Africa with the poverty wages we pay let alone those in the global north.

I think Nigerians are happy that lecturers in polytechnic and colleges of education earn more than public university lecturers. Despite being poorly remunerated, public university lecturers teach more because not less than an 80percent of those writing JAMB yearly prefer university education. Universities (and not polytechnic and colleges of education) are rated and ranked globally. Nigerians who think ASUU is fighting a wrong cause should no longer complain that Nigerian universities rank poorly globally. They should not blame the quality of graduates being churned out because they do not think there is a need for the revitalization of public universities. They are only interested in their wards passing through universities without the universe in the university passing through them. They should not think students trained in zoo-like conditions will behave like normal humans when they graduate. When such become political office holders, they will see no reason to invest in public education and the consequences will be further erosion of the universe in our universities using the words of renowned poet, Professor Niyi Osundare. Our best will leave as they have been doing and we will infest the ivory towers will politicians!

Professor Niyi Osundare’s valedictory lecture entitled “the Universe in the University: A Scholar-poet’s Look from Inside Out” responds to those asking for the commodification of public universities. According to him, “A University cannot be run like a money-spinning business or corporation and be expected to still retain the soul and sense of Academe. Harassed by budget cuts by a Nigerian government that pays little more than lip service to education, our university is being forced to look for funds in every which way. While it must be admitted that some departments are in a better position to generate outside funds than others, any attempt to commodify education and commercialize the disciplines can only lead to further undermining of the universe in our university. Time, we realize that a university can never be run as a cost-effective corporation. There are simply certain forms of knowledge that cannot be judged on their market value. (Niyi Osundare, July 26, 2005)”.

I have taken the time to provide insight into the ‘futuristic awards’ of the PMB government regarding ASUU demands and from this, it is apparent that this government has met nothing. The government salvaged the Aviation industry with millions of dollars without saying it will be put in the 2023 budget. Education is our future. We cannot afford further decay beyond what it is. We cannot joke about the welfare of our lecturers. We won’t advance if we keep electing ‘Londoners’ who don’t believe in the country but are poised to milk it. I will end this piece with the words of then opposition spokesman and now Minister of Information and culture, Lai Muhammed whose speeches have now become ‘talk is cheap. In 2013 (Daily Post, August 21, 2013), while reacting to the ASUU strike, Lai said: “What we are saying is that if the Federal Government would reduce its profligacy and cut waste, there will be enough money to pay teachers in public universities, as well as fund research and upgrade infrastructure in such institutions. Hungry teachers can neither teach well nor carry out research. And poorly-taught students can neither excel nor propel their nation to great heights.”  Now in government, has his government reduced waste and cut profligacy? Has this government upgraded infrastructure and funded cutting-edge research? Is the government not asking lecturers to receive poverty wages and return to teaching? Can poorly teach students to excel and propel Nigeria’s development as being championed by this government? Ladies and gentlemen, let us support the government to fight ASUU.

Dr. Tade, a sociologist writes via dotad2003@yahoo.com   

The post Fighting ASUU for the Soul of Public Universities first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Fighting ASUU for the Soul of Public Universities appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The students, who are the main lifeblood of this area, are currently at home waiting for news on when the strike will be over.

Alhaji Bagudu and many other petty traders, Mai Suya, Mai Shai and others are equally waiting for news on the call-off of the strike as the businesses depend on the students.

“In February, when the strike was declared, some of the students stayed, hoping it’s going to be a short strike. After a while, most left. Right now, it is pointless opening the shops. Some days, you don’t even make enough to cover transport,” Mr Bagudu said.

While attention has been on the plight of students, the entire university ecosystem goes beyond students and staff of the university, as several businesses depend on the university community to sustain.

From transportation to housing to hospitality and other businesses, these businesses are counting the cost of the shutdown of these schools.

“We lost 1 year of rent in 2020. And we have almost lost this year,” Aliyu Isiak, a house agent in Gwagwalada said.

“Most houses will require massive renovation when students resume. Some of these houses have been taken over by rodents. In some cases, hoodlums and thieves have burgled some of the houses,” he added.

Most of these businesses depend on students. Their business models envisage short and long holidays, not strike, particularly the uncertainty associated with the strike.

In some instances, the entire economy depends on these schools. When students are on holiday or strike, the economy of that community relapses into a coma.

While the lecturers are insisting that their salaries while on strike must be paid, businesses around these schools continue to suffer without hope of assistance from the government.

Agbeyangi Saliu, a businessman at Kwara State University, said that the entire economy of Molete, a community where the school is located, depends solely on the school.

“Before the establishment of KWASU, there was practically nothing here. Land was cheap. It was the establishment of the school that created everything here. We cannot even imagine a strike. Even during holidays, there are other activities. A shutdown of the school will almost create a riot here,” he said.

The idea of school being a means of economic development is further buttressed by the frenzy by lawmakers to create federal universities in their constituencies.

In the National Assembly, there are over 70 bills seeking the establishment of federal universities.

Some lawmakers even campaign with the promise of establishing a university in their respective constituencies.

Aside from the lawmakers, both Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari established universities in their respective villages during their administrations.

Jonathan established the federal university Otuoke, Bayelsa State, while the newly approved university of transportation is to be located in Daura, Katsina State.

According to Lateef Yusuf, an economist, universities bring huge economic prosperity to communities where they are located.

“The purchasing power of students is significant. For instance, some schools have as many as 35,000 students, that is, regular, part-time and postgraduate students. Okada riders in some communities depend on students for survival. And most of these students come from outside the community, so when there is a long lockdown, these businesses suffer tremendously,” he said.

He noted that it would be hard to ask the government to provide some sort of palliatives for these businesses.

“Federal universities are about 50, then you have those State varsities that joined the strike. That is why in my opinion, it will be hard to imagine the government providing the needed palliative,” he said.

For some, the impact of the strike is a double blow. On one hand, their children are at home because of the strike, on the other hand, their household income is affected.

The post ASUU strike: Businesses around universities grounded, owners count losses first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post ASUU strike: Businesses around universities grounded, owners count losses appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

DAILY POST recalls that ASUU on February 14, 2022, shut down public universities over the inability of the federal government to implement agreements the two parties entered into in previous years.

ASUU and other unions are demanding funding, revitalisation of universities, earned allowances, implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) scheme, as well as promotion arrears.

Recall that the NLC had given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to resolve the lingering issues. The ultimatum, however, elapsed without tangible moves to end the strike.

Following the expiration of the ultimatum, the NLC, in a statement issued by its president, Ayuba Wabba said the solidarity protest would take place in all the 36 states and the FCT.

The statement reads, “In line with the decision of the National Executive Council, NEC meeting of the Nigerian Labour Congress held on 30th of June 2022, we have scheduled the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigerians public universities fighting for quality education.

“Date, Tuesday 26th July 2022 and Wednesday 27th July 2022

“Venue: At the state capitals of the Federation and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. Take off points: NLC state secretariats and the Labour House Abuja”.

The post BREAKING: ASUU: NLC to embark on national protest over lingering strike, reveals dates first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post BREAKING: ASUU: NLC to embark on national protest over lingering strike, reveals dates appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

ASUU has been on an industrial action since February 14, with tens of thousands of undergraduates out of universities.

On Wednesday, the government declared there was no Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) awaiting President Muhammad Buhari’s assent.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige made the clarification in a statement by Olajide Oshundun, ministry’s Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations.

Ngige accused the President of ASUU, Prof. Victor Osodeke and branch leaders of misinforming Nigerians.

Ngige said when a CBA is produced between unions and the Federal Government, it is not the President that signs.

“There is no such CBA that has been reached between the Federal Government, ASUU and other university unions on the renegotiation of their salaries and allowances (wages).

“What is in existence is a proposal. Even when such CBA is made, it is not the president that signs it. From available records, no Nigerian President or sovereign signs such”, he explained.

Ngige said ASUU’s demand for better conditions of service – wages, salaries, allowances and other public service matters – would be guided by relevant government ministries and agencies.

The minister listed the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Budget office of the Federation.

Others include the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Office of Head of Service of the Federation, through the Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee.

Ngige said the team just like the Prof. Munzali Committee it replaced, is an internal committee of the Ministry of Education to receive ASUU’s demands and renegotiate the 2009 Agreement.

The post ASUU strike enters sixth month as Nigerian govt declares no agreement first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post ASUU strike enters sixth month as Nigerian govt declares no agreement appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.