The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent another prolonged strike in public universities. At a press briefing on Friday, ASUU Lagos Zone Chairman, Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, emphasized the critical state of these institutions and urged the President to address the union's demands.
ASUU highlighted several issues, including the government's failure to sign and implement the re-negotiated FGN/ASUU Agreement, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances, and promotion arrears. Odukoya criticized the administration's insufficient funding and warned of the impending collapse of public universities if these issues remain unresolved.
The union also called for the abrogation of the IPPIS payment system, labeling it a source of centralized corruption that undermines university autonomy. They demanded a review of the National Universities Commission (NUC) laws to address the proliferation of universities as political projects.
ASUU's plea comes amid a backdrop of significant financial hardship for its members, compounded by the government's failure to pay three and a half months' salaries and outstanding allowances since 2020. The union urged President Tinubu to engage directly with its leadership to fulfill his promise of preventing avoidable industrial unrest in Nigerian universities.
