ASUU STRIKE: TINUBU GOVERNMENT MUST IMMEDIATELY MEET THE DEMANDS OF ASUU NOW!

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) extends its solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over their ongoing 14-day warning strike. We strongly believe that these demands are legitimate and in the interest of public education and the Nigerian masses. We hereby call on the government to immediately meet these demands in the interest of students who are the one bearing the brunt of the inevitable dislocation of the academic calendar as a result of the strike.

The demands of ASUU primarily concern the renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of 3.5 months withheld salaries and 25%-35% salary arrears, promotion areas over the next four years, and an end to the victimization of ASUU members in institutions such as LASU and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Importantly, ASUU is also demanding proper funding of the education sector and revitalization of public universities.

Instead of meeting these demands and showing genuine concern for the demands of academic staff, the Tinubu government kept criminal silence. Before the commencement of this warning strike on Monday, October 13, 2025, ASUU had issued different warnings and called on the government to act. In fact, a protest was held across universities to further get the attention of the government. Despite these efforts, no genuine move was made to resolve the crisis.

Surprisingly, the same government that has failed to meet the demands of ASUU has started clamping down on the strike and also initiating a campaign of calumny against ASUU through its officials. For instance, a declaration of ‘No work, no pay’ has been made by the government. A move indicating the unwillingness of the government to engage in any bargain despite its deceptive cries to the public that it was ready to discuss with the union before the strike was initiated. Mr Alausa, the Minister of Education, labelled the strike as ‘uncalled for’, wrongly accusing ASUU of reneging on a promise to the government. The big question here is which party has reneged on a promise? Obviously, if the government had not made reneging on promises its nature, there would have been no basis for this warning strike action.

To be clear, we place the blame for this strike action at the doorstep of the Tinubu/APC government. Therefore, we call on the Tinubu government to prioritize the meeting of the demands of ASUU and other staff unions so as not to further plunge the education sector into a deeper crisis. The ongoing strike is meant to be a warning strike, this means that the government has the opportunity of averting another strike action. Enough of the insincerity and attacks on public education.

We in the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) condemn the anti-student position of the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). Calling on ASUU and the Government to end the strike is a deceptive way of giving ASUU an undeserved share of blame in a crisis instigated and prolonged by the Government. A pro-student and well-meaning union would rather call on the government to honour its agreement with ASUU and commit to the uplifting of public education. The reality is that NANS, acting true to its recent history, has become an appendage of the government. Therefore, we condemn this betrayal of the core principles of unionism and of the struggle for a better education sector.

It is our stern belief in the ERC that a collective struggle of education workers, students, pro-education groups and well-meaning Nigerians is needed to ensure the government is forced to accede to the demands of ASUU and other unions. We also seize this opportunity to call for the democratization of the decision-making organs of tertiary institutions to include the active participation of staff and students through elected representatives from their unions.

Ogunjimi Isaac,

Deputy National Coordinator.

Adaramoye Michael Lenin,

National Mobilization Officer

Email: [email protected]