Education Crisis Alert: ASUU Threatens Countrywide Strike Over Longstanding 2009 Agreement Dispute!

At a press conference in Abuja on Friday, ASUU President Chris Piwuna voiced the union’s deep frustration over the government’s ongoing neglect of nine critical issues that have long afflicted Nigeria’s public universities.

Piwuna highlighted that among these unresolved matters is the stalled renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, pending since 2017, alongside other urgent concerns including unpaid salaries following the 2022 strike and unsettled entitlements linked to the contentious Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

He also criticised the government’s failure to release revitalisation funds and pay earned academic allowances, despite prior commitments. The government had promised to inject N150 billion into the university system and adjust irregular allowances by 2026—pledges that remain unmet.

Piwuna drew attention to the plight of ASUU members at state-owned institutions such as Kogi State University and Lagos State University, where staff face victimisation, job insecurity, and withheld salaries, factors that have seriously dampened morale and worsened academic conditions.

The ASUU leader further condemned growing political interference in university leadership appointments, citing cases from Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the University of Abuja, where political and economic interests have compromised leadership integrity.

Calling for a “national rebirth through education,” Piwuna proposed convening an education summit to address key issues like funding, university autonomy, and academic staff welfare.

He stressed education’s crucial role in empowering citizens, fostering innovation, and nurturing values, warning that without sufficient investment, national development would remain elusive.

While ASUU remains open to dialogue, Piwuna made it clear that the union will not accept any further violations of its rights. “Our universities should be centres for solutions to national challenges. We are open to dialogue but will not tolerate further erosion of our rights,” he affirmed.