The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday said it may be forced to resume the strike in two weeks times which, it said, suspended as a mark of respect and demonstration of goodwill in collective bargaining.
The union described as sad the fact that even the N50 billion revitalisation fund claimed to have been released some weeks ago by the Federal Government is yet to reach the Universities and wondered why the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Maruf Alausa, is still keeping it.
The Chairman of ASUU, University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter, Prof Jurbe Joseph Molwus, in a statement said the Universities have yet to receive the N2.3 billion purportedly released by the government to clear salary and promotion arrears in all federal Universities.
While calling for the sacking of the Minister for incompetence, ASUU said the amount of N2.3 billion is like a drop in the ocean because it can hardly take care of three big Universities in Nigeria as it is “grossly inadequate and almost embarrassing, if not insulting.”
The statement reads, “Distinguished compatriots of the press, recall that on October, 22 2025, our Union gave the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) four weeks within which to address its demands otherwise, it will be left with no choice but to resume its suspended strike without further notice. Sadly, two weeks have gone without much progress.
“As ASUU mobilises for its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled to hold on the 8th and 9th November, 2025, we expect that some of the outstanding entitlements such as 3.5 months withheld salaries, 25/35% wage award arrears, promotion arrears, unpaid salaries of some members etc would have been paid to University workers by now. But all we get is press releases by the Honourable Minister of Education. What we need is credit alerts and not misleading releases.
“It is sad to further note that even the N50 billion revitalisation fund the FGN claimed to have released some weeks ago is yet to reach the Universities. We do not know why the Minister of Education is still keeping it.
“Again, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Maruf Alausa, was quoted to have said in a recent release that
the FG has released N2.3 billion to clear salary and promotion arrears in all federal Universities.
“But, as we speak right now, the University workers have yet to receive any such alerts. So, the Minister’s claim of clearing backlog may be in the fiction of his imagination. He also claimed to have strengthened academic staff welfare, and we ask: How?
“However, the big question for the Minister to answer is: Can a meagre N2.3 billion settle the backlog of promotion and salary arrears of all federal university workers? Absolutely, No. The truth is that the amount of N2.3 billion is like a drop in the ocean because it can hardly take care of three big Universities in Nigeria. The amount is grossly inadequate and almost embarrassing if not insulting.
“The Honourable Minister needs to come out clearly and state what fraction of the outstanding entitlements of the University workers the N2. 3 billion is meant to settle and for whom it is meant. We sincerely do not understand the magic of the minister.
“Honestly, we wonder just how “Honourable” the Honourable Minister of Education really is. Recall that some weeks ago, the same Minister had told the Nigerian public that he had settled all the demands of ASUU, and at the same time he expressed surprise that ASUU had embarked on a warning strike. Remember also that the same Honourable Minister of Education had claimed some weeks ago that the government does not have any agreement with ASUU before turning back. Could it be that our Honourable Minister has acquired the dog’s facility for throwing up and returning again to eat its vomit?
“It is high time the Honourable Minister of Education realised that only a genuine engagement beyond words can settle the demands of ASUU.
“When he claimed some months ago that university-based unions will not go on strike again, he should be seen to be making sincere and frantic efforts towards addressing the demands of University unions rather than his usual rhetorics.
“As a medical doctor, he should know very well that palliatives do not cure diseases. Perhaps he needs to learn from his counterpart in the Ministry of Health.
“The way things are going, one may be right to infer that the Honourable Minister of Education is a misfit, and perhaps, he lacks the capacity to oversee that Ministry, talk less of satisfactorily addressing the demands of ASUU and other unions. We also wonder what impact the Honourable Minister of State for Education is making towards addressing these demands, given that she is fully from the university system.
“In fact, she is expectedly owed some salaries and arrears by the FGN, so her interest is included in the demands of ASUU. She understands our demands. Hence, we expect Dr Alausa to rely on her guidance to enable him to make progressive efforts rather than rigmaroling.
“Compatriots of the press, we dare to say that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in keeping with his campaign promises, really desires to make history by addressing the age long dispute with the University unions, he needs to change the Minister of Education and bring in someone who truly understands the issues bedevilling tertiary education in Nigeria.
“Except if the Honourable Minister of Education has been hired to do the bidding of Mr. President and is indeed doing so. We hereby call on the press, students, parents and the general public to call on the FGN to do the needful so that ASUU is not blamed if and when it resumes its suspended strike in the next two weeks.
“For clarity, the four weeks given to the FGN will lapse on the 21st of November, 2025.
We hereby state for the benefit of the doubts that the strike was only suspended as a mark of respect and demonstration of goodwill in collective bargaining.
“So, we expect the FGN to reciprocate by satisfactorily addressing our demands without further delays. Our members are losing patience as they wait to receive alerts of their legitimate entitlements and get a signed agreement with the FGN. Solidarity forever.”
Friday Olokor, Abuja
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