By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it’ll embark on the mother of all strikes if the Federal Government does not heed to their demands.
These demands include but not limited to renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement; sustainable funding of universities; revitalisation of universities; victimisation of colleges in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University) and FUTO; outstanding 25-35% wage award and 3 months’ salary arrears; and promotion arrears for over 4 years.
This was disclosed by Peter Ubi, ASUU Chairperson, University of Calabar Branch (ASUU-UCB), while briefing journalists at the Secretariat on Tuesday, 26th August 2025.
Ubi said NEC has resolved to give the Federal Government time to address the aforementioned issues and get to the union on 28th August 2025. The outcome, however, will determine the industrial action.
“If I’ve foreseen what will happen, this strike will be the mother of all strikes.
“The issues raised are not new and ASUU has always proposed a solution to every issue raised, but the government is not listening. Instead, they are applying the same trick; ‘keep them talking,’ and we’ve been talking, talking, talking, and nothing is being done, and that is why ASUU wants to take the bull by the horns.”
The ASUU-UCB Chairperson said the latest strike will last longer than that of 2022 which lasted for eight months.
He debunked the allegations that the union leaders pocket money to call off industrial actions, saying, “ASUU is not like every other union. It is difficult for our leaders to collect money and call off a strike.
“Before we embark on any strike, there is always a referendum. If the number of universities that voted YES for a strike is more than those who voted NO, then we will embark on a strike. So, our leaders, both at the national level, can not on their own call off a strike action; it has to be decided by all universities.”
For the 2009 agreement, Ubi said, “Since the submission of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Report in February 2025, nothing has been done until our meeting of 11th August 2025. Clearly, it expresses the government’s deliberate attempt to jettison the Collective Bargaining Principle.
“We, therefore, wish to caution the government to return to this principle in addressing the issues in our draft agreement. We would like to state for the umpteenth time that ‘Time is Running Out’.”
For the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), regarding staff’s welfare, Ubi said, “NEC considered this policy of the government and rejected the proposition. Our members are already neck-deep in loans.
“All we need is for the government to sign our renegotiated agreement, which will improve our purchasing power and decrease our reliance on loans from cooperative societies.”
The ASUU chairman commended the government on the moratorium on the proliferation of universities, noting that, “This is a matter ASUU has long advanced.”
According to him, “Establishing universities has become compensation for political patronage.”
Ubi also raised the issue of retirement benefits for professors and other university staff. “Our union frowns at the government’s attitude to our members’ welfare who retired since the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
“A situation where a senior academic who has served for over 40 years ends up with a monthly salary of N150,000 is unacceptable and cruel in the current economic realities,” he decried.
The union called on all well-meaning Nigerians, NIREC, NANS, Traditional Institutions and the National Assembly, to speak to the government not to stampede members into action.
“The Union appreciates the patience and tolerance of our members since the last referendum. However, the government cannot continue to keep the Union talking forever. In this regard, ASUU has to embark on a strike action to press the FGN to do the needful,” Ubi said.
