Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, has issued an eight-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address lingering grievances or face a full-scale industrial action.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, the Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Dennis Aribodor, accused the government of failing to prioritise education, describing its proposed salary increment as “an insult” incapable of addressing 16 years of stagnant wages, inflation, or the worsening brain drain.
Aribodor said the briefing was convened to alert stakeholders that “time is running out” to avert another nationwide shutdown of public universities.
He recalled that ASUU suspended its two-week warning strike on October 22—five days before its expiration—“out of respect for students, parents, the media, NLC and other well-meaning Nigerians,” after giving the government a one-month window to resolve all pending issues.
“Eight days to the end of this window, where are we?” he asked.
He said the union had reviewed government’s actions since the suspension of the warning strike and found “no meaningful progress,” insisting that the proposed salary adjustment was not enough to retain or motivate university lecturers.
“The proposal cannot reverse the perennial brain drain that has devastated our universities for decades. The salary and conditions of service remain a sore point that requires a radical approach,” he said.
Aribodor also accused some government officials of sabotaging the negotiation process through “subtle misrepresentation of offers” and selective implementation of agreements.
“The framing of government’s implementation is not the true reflection of reality. This strategy casts doubt on the government’s sincerity and portends great danger to the renegotiation process,” he warned.
He dismissed claims of funding constraints, citing significant growth in federal and state revenues between 2022 and 2024.
“For example, states received ₦3.92 trillion in 2022 and ₦5.81 trillion in 2024—an increase of over 62%. The Federal Government received ₦3.42 trillion in 2022 and ₦4.65 trillion in 2024, representing an increase of over 70%. It is lack of political will, not economic factors, that is undermining the renegotiation,” he said.
ASUU urged traditional rulers, students, civil society, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the media, and other stakeholders to pressure the government to act within the remaining days or risk a total shutdown of public universities.
Aribodor stressed that adequate investment in education is essential for national development given Nigeria’s widening infrastructure deficit.
