By O.V Collins
The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has set a disgraceful record of 630 days and still counting as the number of days which the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have embarked on strike since 2015.
The 2022 ASUU strike that entered its 203rd day on Sunday, September 4 is set to continue as the leadership of the union declared a total and indefinite strike action on Monday 29th August 2022 after 6 months of warning.
In a statement signed by ASUU National President, Prof, Emmanuel Osodeke, it was stated, ‘‘In view of the foregoing, and following extensive deliberations on government’s response to the resolution of 14th February 2022, so far, NEC concluded that the demands of the union had not been satisfactorily addressed. Consequently, NEC resolved to transmute the roll-over strike to a comprehensive, total, and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01 a.m Monday 29th August 2022.
‘‘NEC acknowledges with appreciation past and current efforts by eminent Nigerians and groups to mediate in the lingering crisis. Our union remains open to reasonable engagements as we have always done. However, ASUU remains focused on the full implementation of the 23rd December 2020 Memorandum of Action for quick restoration of industrial harmony in Nigeria’s public universities.”
‘‘NEC noted with pains, its concerns for Nigerians students who are also our wards and foster children and condemned government’s seeming indifference to their plights. Were it within our control, our universities would never have been shut for one day,‘’ it added.
Under Obasanjo’s administration, the university lecturers went on strike for 541 days in total.
From 2007 to 2010 under President Umar Yar’dua, ASUU had a total of 127 days of strike action. The immediate former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government from 2010 to 2015 experienced 359 days of ASUU strike cumulatively.
Under the President Buhari-led government from 2015 till date, ASUU has embarked on strike for almost in seven years of the eight years of the administration except in 2015 where the administration recorded no day of ASUU strike.
In 2016 and 2017, ASUU witnessed an industrial action for 7 days and 35days respectively. In 2018, ASUU downed tools for three months and this continued until February 8, 2019. 2020 witnessed a stunning 9 months of industrial action following its disagreement with the federal government over the funding of the universities and implementation of the payment system UTAS.
On February 14, 2022, ASUU commenced another strike action and is now on its 203rd day and still counting.
ASUU’s demands still remain the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 agreement, jettison the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), amongst others.
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