ASUU threatens strike over unresolved 2009 agreement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Akure Zone, has expressed deep frustration with the federal government over its handling of long-standing challenges in the university system.
During a press conference at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Zonal Chairman, Prof. Adeola Egbedokun, highlighted that numerous critical issues remain unresolved.
Key among these issues are the re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding for public universities, unchecked establishment of new institutions, retirement benefits for academic staff, and financial obligations related to TISSF loans.
Egbedokun pointed out that the report from the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation team, submitted to the federal government in February 2025, has yet to receive attention.
“For more than five long months, the government has treated the report with reckless indifference,” he stated, emphasizing that such neglect undermines the foundation of higher education.
He warned that time is running out for the government to act. “Our patience has been stretched to its breaking point. Trust has been shattered, and only decisive government action can mend it.”
The union leader criticized the federal government’s decision to approve new private universities while existing institutions face numerous challenges, calling for adequate funding to revitalize the university system.
He condemned the government’s loan policy for academics as being detrimental. “This loan policy is nothing but a crude distraction… It is wicked and contemptuous of the sacrifices we make for this nation,” he emphasized.
Egbedokun highlighted the plight of retired academics living on meager pensions, calling it a national shame. He warned that ASUU’s patience is wearing thin, and the union is ready to take significant action if issues remain unaddressed.
The union has planned rallies across campuses to convey its message, marking this as a decisive response to the government’s inaction. “These rallies represent our first decisive response… if our concerns continue to be ignored,” he said.
Source: The Nation
