No Going Back on Planned Strike, ASUU Tells FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that it will proceed with its planned two-week nationwide warning strike if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands on or before October 13, 2025.

The union’s President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known on Monday during an Orientation and Leadership Training themed “Understanding the Principles of the Union” at the ASUU branch of Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma, Bayelsa State.

Piwuna said the decision to embark on the strike had already been concluded and would not be reversed unless the government takes immediate action on the lingering issues, including the renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

“The warning strike has been issued and we are not meeting to discuss it again as a union because our position has been taken. By midnight of Monday, we will embark on a two-week warning strike. After that, we will meet to decide on an indefinite and comprehensive strike if the government still fails to act,” Piwuna stated.

The ASUU president lamented that despite years of negotiations and promises, the government has failed to fulfil its part of the agreement, leaving the union with no choice but to take industrial action.

“The issues remain the same. We have given the government enough time. They promised to respond within three weeks but never did. Nigerians must understand that our actions are always a response to government inaction,” he added.

On the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Piwuna criticised the policy, saying that introducing student loans in an economy struggling with high unemployment and inflation is unrealistic.

“We have told the government we do not support loans in a depressed economy. Families can hardly feed themselves, so how will they repay loans? If they truly want to assist students, they should provide grants, not loans,” he said.

He also questioned recent financial reports from NELFUND, describing them as “outrageous.”

“How can an organisation less than a year old, with under 100 staff, spend ₦14 billion on personnel when universities with over 1,000 staff can’t spend that much in a year?” he asked.

Also speaking at the event, ASUU National Financial Secretary, Dr. Happiness Uduk, urged members to uphold integrity and transparency, which she described as core principles of the union.

The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Prof. Ezekiel Agbalagba, who delivered a paper on “Understanding the Dynamics of ASUU and University Administration”, called for stronger collaboration among members to achieve excellence in education.

Similarly, NDU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Allen Agih, commended the organisers and urged that such leadership trainings be held more frequently due to their importance.

In his remarks, the ASUU NDU Branch Chairperson, Dr. Lucky Bebeteidoh, thanked the ASUU President for attending the programme despite his tight schedule and lauded members for their active participation.