The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised the alarm over what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to honour past agreements, cautioning that lecturers across the country may soon withdraw their services.
Addressing journalists at the University of Jos, ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, said university teachers have grown weary of what he termed government neglect and endless excuses. He highlighted unresolved matters, including the stalled renegotiation of the 2009 pact, unpaid entitlements, delayed promotions, and inadequate welfare packages for retired academics.
“For years, we have written and appealed for dialogue, but our requests are ignored. The government’s posture is what always drives this union to the path of a strike,” Piwuna said.
He further criticised the proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, calling it a deceptive loan scheme. According to him, what members demand is proper implementation of agreements and restoration of lost salaries, not credit facilities. “Three months’ wages remain outstanding, yet we are being asked to borrow,” he remarked.
The union also condemned the unchecked establishment of new universities, warning that without sustainable funding, academic standards will continue to decline. Piwuna added that some professors who devoted four decades of service now take home less than ₦150,000 as a monthly pension, a figure he described as humiliating amid current economic realities.
ASUU has scheduled campus-wide demonstrations for next week and will await the outcome of a government meeting on August 28 before announcing its next steps.
“We are running out of patience. Nigerian universities cannot survive under this level of disregard,” Piwuna warned.
The latest threat has heightened concerns that another prolonged shutdown of universities may be imminent.
