ASUU Expresses Readiness to Resume Talks as Government Moves to End Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it is ready to return to the negotiation table with the Federal Government to resolve the ongoing nationwide strike.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the union’s position on Monday during an interview on Channels Television, confirming that government officials had reached out to initiate fresh discussions.
The union had on Sunday declared a two-week comprehensive strike, shutting down academic activities in all public universities over what it described as government’s failure to honour long-standing agreements.
While the Federal Government maintained that it had met ASUU’s demands and described the strike as unjustified, it also threatened to invoke the “no work, no pay” policy against striking lecturers.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), however, faulted the threat, warning that such an approach could derail negotiations and infringe on workers’ right to collective bargaining. The NLC also reiterated its support for ASUU’s campaign for better funding and improved conditions in public universities.
Piwuna said the union had received direct communication from key government officials, including Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Chairman of the Federal Government Team, and the Minister of State for Labour, signalling an intention to restart talks.
“Today, I received a call from Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Chairman of the Federal Government Team, and he’s eager to resume talks with us. I also received another call from the Minister of State for Labour, stating that she’s been directed to intervene and get this matter resolved. ASUU is willing. We are ready and available to discuss this matter once and for all,” he said.
He added that ASUU expected formal correspondence from the Implementation and Labour Monitoring Committee between Monday night and Tuesday.
“My understanding, as I’m talking to you now, is that between this night and tomorrow, I will get a communication from the secretary of the IALM Committee for a meeting at a date that they will tell us. And I would also hear from the Minister of Labour on what they want to do to resolve this matter. We are ready and willing to go back and talk,” Piwuna said.
The ASUU president emphasised that the strike was a reluctant decision aimed at compelling the government to act on unresolved issues.
“Strike has never been an option that we exercise so freely. We are willing to talk about all these issues,” he stated.
Reacting to claims by the Minister of Education that all outstanding issues with ASUU had been resolved, Piwuna challenged the government to justify the renewed push for negotiations.
“Since the minister has said all the problems have been solved, that there is nothing left, I want Nigerians to ask the Ministry of Labour and the Federal
Government negotiating team: if the issues have been solved, why are you going back to talk with ASUU? Are lecturers in LASU or Kogi State University still not being victimised? Has the 2009 agreement been concluded?” he queried.
He reiterated that both lecturers and students had borne the brunt of the government’s inaction, noting that ASUU’s goal was to restore stability and quality to Nigeria’s public university system through genuine dialogue.
“Nigerian students and academic staff union of universities are victims of governments. They are victims of governments inaction and several other things. So we see ourselves as victims of this government, the way students see themselves as victims of what is going on,” he said.
Several universities, including Olabisi Onabanjo University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Tai Solarin University of Education, and the University of Ibadan, have already joined the strike, leading to a complete halt in lectures and other academic activities across their campuses.
