Union Accuses FG of Delay Tactics, Calls for Urgent Intervention to Prevent Shutdown
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kano Zone, has cautioned that Nigeria may soon face another nationwide strike as frustration mounts over what the union describes as the Federal Government’s slow, insincere, and non-committal approach to resolving critical issues affecting the university system.
Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Abdulkadir Muhammad, made the disclosure during a press briefing held after a zonal meeting in Kano. He noted that ASUU’s patience is wearing thin, as the government continues to show little seriousness in implementing agreements and addressing long-standing grievances.
Muhammad recalled that the union suspended its two-week warning strike in October to allow room for “meaningful and fruitful engagement.” However, instead of demonstrating commitment, he said government negotiators have resorted to delay tactics, misinformation, and what he described as deliberate attempts to undermine union demands.
He emphasized that ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC), which convened on November 8 and 9 at Taraba State University, expressed deep disappointment with the Federal Government’s “snail-paced” handling of renegotiations. According to him, NEC members were “seriously dismayed and disillusioned” by the lack of progress.
“Our hope for a holistic, amicable, and timely resolution of the contentious issues is increasingly being dashed,” he said. Muhammad faulted ongoing claims by some government officials that ASUU’s demands have been met, describing such narratives as pure propaganda intended to mislead the public.
He stressed that the government has failed to present proposals that address the deplorable conditions of service in public universities conditions, he added, that continue to fuel an alarming rate of brain drain among academic staff.
With the one-month ultimatum issued to the Federal Government nearing expiration, the union warned that a total shutdown of the university system may become inevitable if the government does not act swiftly and sincerely.
ASUU appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, labour unions, parents, students, and other stakeholders to intervene and pressure the government into taking immediate action. The union stressed that only urgent, decisive steps can prevent another prolonged disruption of academic activities across Nigeria’s public universities.
