Following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum on Sunday handed by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to the Federal Government to implement its demands, the lecturers appear set for another round of strike action if nothing is done urgently to forestall this.
National President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said the Federal Government would hear from the Union in the next 24 hours the next line of action.
He told Tribune Online that consultations were already with the various branches for a final position to be made known to the public soon.
Osodeke disclosed that the meeting of the principal officers of the Union was held on Sunday resolved to proceed on consultation with branches, adding that the consultation would be through within the next one day after which the union would come out with its position.
ASUU noted that the Federal Government only met one out of the demands of the Union which is the NEEDS assessment; the revitalization funds of N30bn which it claimed only N20bn was paid to the universities.
He said: “It is the principal officers that met yesterday (Sunday)”, explaining that,” Following our procedures, we are going to the branches to consult them and then we will come to take the final decision.”
ASUU had on 15th November, 2021, given the Federal Government three weeks to accede to its demands or face another round of strike.
It was, however, gathered that the Federal Government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, is making a last-ditch effort to stop the imminent strike action.
Recall that ASUU had threatened to embark on another round of strikes following the Federal Government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) agreed upon.
ASUU President, at a news conference at the union’s National Secretariat, University of Abuja, had called on parents and all patriotic Nigerians to hold the Federal Government responsible if it failed to address the issues within three weeks after the news conference.