JUST IN: ASUU gives FG 21-day strike notice

By giving the federal government 21 days' notice, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has alerted it to its intention to launch a nationwide strike.

Our correspondent in Abuja was informed of the situation on Monday by sources within the ASUU National Executive Council.

The notice was sent to the Federal Ministries of Labour and Education, and a copy was distributed at the conclusion of the NEC meeting, which took place at the University of Ibadan.

"This is a notice of strike, not an order. We are going to go on strike after giving them a notice of 21 days.

According to the source, "we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law, which is why we are putting out the notice as required by labour laws."
Recall that ASUU had issued a strike warning due to the failure to carry out agreements made with the federal government.
In an attempt to prevent the planned strike and discuss outstanding concerns impacting universities, Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, sent an invitation to the union to a meeting on June 26.

ASUU's national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stated that the agreements made with the federal government had not been carried out in his remarks regarding the meeting's outcome.

"At the gathering that the Minister of Education summoned, we agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made.
"If the government fails to carry out the agreements reached, we will also assess our next course of action."

Among the demands, according to the ASUU president, was the non-application of the 2009 renegotiated accords.

He added that the administration had not yet put the agreements into effect, despite their existence for more than six years.

Osodeke said that no action had been taken despite the fact that their members' academic allowances had accumulated for more than six years.

Regarding the revitalisation fund, he stated that the Needs Assessment Report had agreed to raise N200 billion every year for a period of five years.

Only one has received payment since 2013. He stated, "We need revitalisation funding to bring our universities up to date so that we can host teachers and students from abroad.

In addition, Oshodeke stated that the government was still in the process of approving new universities without providing the funding necessary to keep them operating.