ASUU: ‘Our Issues Are Yet To Be Satisfactorily Addressed But We’ll Suspend Strike Because Of Buhari, Others’ Appeals’

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has explained that although all of its demands have yet to be met, it decided to suspend its 8-month strike as a result of the efforts made by President Muhammadu Buhari, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as other well-meaning Nigerians who intervened in the matter.

The union finally called off the strike in the early hours of Friday (today) after an all-night meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC).

ASUU made this known in a statement signed by its National President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke.

The statement read in part, “The National Executive Council of ASUU held an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday, October 13, 2022.

“The National Industrial Court in its wisdom gave an order compelling ASUU to resume work pending the determination of the substantive suit. Given the nature of the order, and in the opinion of our counsel, there was the need to appeal the interlocutory injunction granted against our union at the Court of Appeal.

“The Court of Appeal acknowledged the validity of the grounds of the union’s appeal but still upheld the order of the lower court and ordered our union to comply with the ruling of the lower court as condition precedent for the appeal to be heard.

“NEC noted the series of meetings with the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as intervention efforts of other well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside the government and the progress made so far.

“While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute were yet to be satisfactorily addressed.

“However, as a law-abiding union and in deference to appeals by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and in recognition of the efforts Hon. Gbajabiamila, and other well-meaning Nigerians, ASUU NEC resolved to suspend the strike action embarked upon on February 14, 2022. Consequently, all members of ASUU are hereby directed to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12:01 on Friday, October 14, 2022.”

ASUU has been on strike since February 14th of 2022 to press home its numerous demands to the Federal Government which include payment of earned allowances and salaries for lecturers, improved funding and maintenance for tertiary institutions, the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability system (UTAS) for salary payment instead of the government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the renegotiation of the ASUU FG 2009 agreement, among others.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had taken the union to the National Industrial Court in a bid to have the court order them to call off the strike.

The court granted the motion filed by the FG, ruling on September 21 that the union should call off the strike immediately.

Unsatisfied with the ruling, ASUU took the matter to the Court of Appeal for review but the court asked the union to call off its strike before it can grant its request to appeal the ruling.

The court gave ASUU seven days to file an appeal after adhering to the ruling of the Industrial Court.