The Zonal Coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Calabar zone, Dr. Happiness Uduk, has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, threatening that the union will initiate another industrial action within two weeks if the government fails to honour its 2009 renegotiated agreement with the union.
Dr. Uduk, a senior lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Uyo, voiced her frustrations during a protest rally organised by the University of Uyo branch of ASUU.
She expressed deep disappointment with government officials, accusing them of neglecting public universities and misusing taxpayer money to fund their private institutions.
“Enough is enough! Government officials are not taking care of public institutions yet they are now establishing their own private universities where they are taking our resources and our taxpayers’ money to,” Uduk declared.
“What the Federal Government wants is to destroy public universities as they did to public primary and secondary schools.”
She stressed the urgency of the situation, giving the government a two-week ultimatum to take action or face another strike by the union.
“The Federal Government has about two weeks to do something, and if not, ASUU will down tools. That is what we want to tell people: It is not well with us. The government has not treated us well, and to say the least, we are very hungry. Whatever we are getting is not taking us home.”
The protest rally saw numerous participants who displayed placards and chanted solidarity songs.
Addressing the protesters, ASUU Chairperson Prof. Opeyemi Olajide reminded them of the prolonged strike in 2022, which lasted for eight months due to similar issues.
He lamented that despite the union’s return to the classroom in compliance with the rule of law, the Federal Government has yet to fulfill its promises.
“In 2022, ASUU was on strike for eight months. Public universities in Nigeria were shut down, and students were sent home because the federal government of Nigeria refused to address ASUU demands as contained in the renegotiated 2009 agreement that Academic Staff Unions of Nigerian Universities had with them,” Prof. Olajide stated.
“This is two years after the Federal Government has refused to sign that agreement with our union.”
Prof. Olajide said that the union had reached out to relevant authorities to resolve the issues and prevent any disruption to academic activities.
However, with no positive outcome, he reiterated the union’s readiness to take drastic measures if the government fails to act within the given timeframe.
“We are telling the government and the public that if in the next two weeks, nothing is done, ASUU is going to embark on yet another strike and students will be sent home,” he warned.
