ASUU to commence warning strike on October 2

The Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) said on Monday that it would commence
a warning strike on Oct. 2.
A statement signed by Mr Ben Ugheoke, the
Chairman, University of Abuja chapter of ASUU,
stated that the Federal Government had failed
to embark on meaningful dialogue with the
union.
“We have tried to dialogue with the Federal
Government but they have been playing games
with us; we will start with a warning strike to
show them we are not jokers.
“ASUU has being trying to get the attention of
the Federal Government to intervene in the
academic system of universities across Nigeria
but it has all been abortive.
“Consequently, ASUU will give a warning strike
which will start on Oct. 2nd.
“The strike will last for one week, and if they do
not give us listening ears, we will start the
indefinite strike in November,’’Ugheoke said in
the statement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that
ASUU, had at a recent news briefing accused
the Federal Government of reneging on the 2009
agreement with the union.
ASUU’s Coordinator, Abuja Zone, Dr Theophilus
Lagi, also said in the statement that the
government had only implemented 30 per cent
of the provisions of Universities Needs
Assessment document.
He said that the fund was disbursed
indiscriminately to university councils as a fall
out of the six months industrial action the union
embarked upon in 2009.
Lagi urged the Federal Government to fully
implement the 2009 agreement it reached with
the union in order to avert another industrial
action by the nation’s public universities.
“The struggle to implement the 2009 ASUU/FGN
agreement is not about the union; it is not about
the personal benefits of the members only.
“The current issues in contention include funding
of universities for revitalisation in line with the
Memorandum of Understanding the Federal
Government and ASUU had signed in 2013.
“Re-negotiation of the FGN/ASUU 2009
agreement ASUU believes will reposition the
entire education sector.
“We also demand the facilitation of the
registration of the Nigerian Universities Pension
Management Company (NUPEMCO), among
other issues in the FG/ASUU 2009 agreement,’’
he said. (NAN)