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  • BREAKING: ASUU suspends two-week warning strike

    BREAKING: ASUU suspends two-week warning strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike with immediate effect following progress in some of its demands. 

    ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna announced the suspension of the strike on Wednesday at ASUU’s national secretariat at the University of Abuja. 

    He said that the suspension followed progress in talks with government officials concerning their outstanding issues. 

    “NEC hopes that the government will take advantage of the suspension to resolve the issues, especially the 2009 agreement. 

    “Should the government fail to resolve these issues ASUU will not hesitate to resume the strike,” Piwuna said. 

    The union declared a two – week warning strike on October 12 to press home its demands.

    Piwuna said the union would not have embarked on the strike if the Federal Government had responded to its demands. 

    Piwuna listed ASUU’s seven demands as the re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of universities, an end to the alleged victimisation of ASUU members in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University) and FUTO, payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, settlement of promotion arrears spanning over four years, and remittance of outstanding third-party deductions.

    Details shortly…

  • NLC issues four-week ultimatum to FG over ASUU crisis

    NLC issues four-week ultimatum to FG over ASUU crisis

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude ongoing negotiations with unions across the nation’s tertiary institutions.

    The labour body also criticised the government’s no-work-no-pay policy imposed on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as punishment for embarking on a nationwide strike.

    NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this known during an interactive session with labour correspondents on Monday in Abuja.

    The session came after a meeting between the NLC and leaders of tertiary institutions-based unions at the Congress headquarters.

    “We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU but the problem in this sector goes beyond ASUU.

    Read Also: Senate wades in ASUU strike, to meet Education Minister Tuesday

    “That is why we are extending this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NEC will meet and take a nationwide action that all workers in the country, all unions in the country will be involved so that we get to the root of all this.

    “The era of signing agreements, negotiations and threatening the unions involved, that era has come to an end. “The policy, the so-called policy of no work, no pay, will henceforth be no pay, no work. You can’t benefit from an action you instigated. We have discovered that most, 90% of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements,” Ajaero said.

  • ASUU: ‘No work, no pay’ threat solves nothing

    ASUU: ‘No work, no pay’ threat solves nothing

    Sir: Once again, the federal government is threatening the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with no work no pay. It’s the same tired approach used by past administrations. But history has shown that this policy does not solve problems; it only deepens mistrust, kills morale, and pushes our universities further into decline.

    The no work no pay policy was applied during the Muhammadu Buhari administration, particularly after the 2022 ASUU strike that lasted eight months. Lecturers were denied their salaries for the period of the strike, even though the government’s failure to meet its own promises was the reason for the industrial action in the first place. Buhari’s government insisted on punishment rather than dialogue, and what was the result? Did it end the strikes? Did it fix the rot in our universities? No.

    It only created resentment and weakened the relationship between the government and the academic community. The issues that triggered that strike, poor funding, unpaid allowances, decaying infrastructure, remain unsolved today.

    You can’t use the same tactics that might work on transport unions or political protesters on an organization built on principles, history, and intellectual resistance.

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    In 2016, for instance, the South African “Fees Must Fall” movement forced the government to rethink its policies and increase education funding. In the UK, university staff have gone on strikes repeatedly over pay and working conditions, yet the government had to return to the negotiation table, not threaten them. These examples show that dialogue and respect for agreements are the only sustainable paths, not coercion.

    ASUU has endured decades of intimidation and threats. From the military era to the present democratic dispensation, their fight has remained consistent to protect public universities from total collapse. They have been banned, unbanned, and blacklisted, yet they remain because they represent something deeper than just salary negotiations.

    The government’s repeated use of no work no pay is not just short-sighted, it is a confession of leadership failure.  Their struggle is not for personal gain but for the survival of education in Nigeria. Threats won’t work; intimidation won’t help. Only commitment, dialogue, and respect for signed agreements will bring peace to our universities.

    If we truly want to equip our education system for the poor and the future, we must stop treating teachers as enemies and start treating them as partners. A nation that punishes those who fight for education is a nation that has already given up on its future.

    •Muhammad Umar Shehu,Gombe.

  • ASUU’s strike violates court order, says Ita Enang

    ASUU’s strike violates court order, says Ita Enang

    • Medical lecturers shun strike

    A former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, has urged the Federal Government to sue the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for contempt over the union’s warning strike, which started on Monday.

    Enang, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja.

    He argued that ASUU’s demand for unpaid salaries was in contravention of a court order obtained in 2023, which stated that the union was not entitled to salaries while on a strike.

    Enang said: “They are going on strike to compel the Federal Government to disobey court order.

    “If you want to go on strike, you have to agree that under the existing law, you have to forfeit your salaries for the period.

    “In the United States (U.S.A.) and in the United Kingdom (UK), there is a Strike Fund, the money that the union pays members from during a strike because at such periods they are not entitled to salaries from their employers.

    “My advice to ASUU is to call off the strike and go back to work while they continue with negotiations with the Federal Government.

    “Innocent students’ academic calendar and life have been truncated and prejudiced.

    “So, the academic staff union should know that those who want to go on strike should be prepared to lose their salary, according to the law.

    “They should read the judgment, particularly paragraph two in that judgment. This is because one of the things we claimed in that judgment was that the period that the workers were on strike should not be counted.”

    Read Also: We wont be blackmailed into ASUU’s strike – Medical lecturers

    The former presidential aide stressed that all the issues raised by ASUU have been passionately addressed by the Ministry of Education and the Federal Government.

    He wondered what ASUU was looking for in ordering a fresh strike, insisting that the strike constituted a contempt of court.

    Citing relevant laws to support the government’s “no work, no pay” policy, Enang said the directive aligned with domestic and international labour laws.

    According to him, paying striking workers is contemptuous, and the Federal Government must not be seen to be in contempt of court, like the striking ASUU.

    He said: “The question we asked the court, on page two of the judgment, was to interpret the provisions of Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, Capt. 8, Laws of the Federation.

    “It is titled: ‘Special Provisions With Respect to Payment of Wages During Strikes and Lockouts,’ specifically dealing with the rights of employers and employees during the period of any strike or lockout.

    “I have listened to the statement by Dr. Olatunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, saying that the vice chancellors should not pay the salaries and that they should honour the policy of ‘no work, no pay’.

    “I want to urge the minister that he doesn’t need to do that. He should rather charge ASUU with contempt of court.”

    Also, the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has refused to join the ASUU strike. It reminded the varsity teachers’ union that it is not its member.

    NAMDA described itself as an independent body focused on protecting the interests of medical lecturers.

    It dismissed some reports that its members had joined the ongoing industrial action.

    In a joint statement by its President, Dr. Nosa Lancy Orhue; Secretary-General, Dr. Abdulrahman Shehu, and National Liaison Officer/Organising Secretary, Dr. Muhammad Askira, NAMDA said it “will not be blackmailed, coaxed, or lured away from the interest of its members”.

    The association added that it could negotiate its interests without being coerced by other academic bodies.

    “A withdrawal of services directed by the relevant organ of our union will only rely on relevant sections of our constitution,” NAMDA said.

    It warned that such action, if necessary, would have significant impacts on the critical sectors of education and health.

    “We are not on strike,” NAMDA stated.

    It explained that despite an earlier clarification, it continues to receive calls from members, journalists, and the public seeking clarity on its position in relation to ASUU’s withdrawal of services.

    The statement added that NAMDA’s members had long been abandoned by the system, promising to always support only legitimate demands that do not negatively affect the critical interests of its members.

    Also, the Presiding Bishop of Victory International Church, Rehoboth Cathedral, Ibadan, Victor Adelakun, has called called for balance, fair, and honest responses between the government and university lecturers to bring a lasting solution to their face-off.

    Addressing reporters in Ibadan, Adelakun urged the Federal Government and ASUU to make sacrifices for the development of the education sector.

  • ASUU strike: Our frustration, our pain, by students

    ASUU strike: Our frustration, our pain, by students

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) announced at the weekend a two-week warning strike which commenced on Monday, following the expiration of its 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to accede to its demands. Though it has sent alarm bells ringing again, with the union insisting it could turn indefinite, students have expressed their angst, pain and frustration on the issue, NWOBODO PRECIOUS, FAVOUR UWAIFO(AUL) and OLAMIDE OSHINYEMI (OOU) report

    The genesis

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) didn’t disappoint many when it announced the commencement of a two-week warning strike across universities nationwide. The signs were already there when lecturers embarked on peaceful protests across campuses in August  over what they termed the Federal Government’s failure to accede to their demands for better welfare and improved funding of the education sector.

    The protests, which grounded academic activities, were intended  to serve as a strike notice to the Federal Government.

    They wanted the government to begin implementing the demands tomorrow to avert the commencement of a full blown strike.

    Fast forward to this month, the union’s just-declared two-week strike could be escalated if the government fails to address its  seven-point demands.

    ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, insisted that the strike was inevitable due to the government’s alleged insensitivity and failure to implement agreements reached with the union.

    The demands are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, improved funding for public universities, revitalisation projects, an end to the alleged victimisation of ASUU members in certain institutions, payment of outstanding salary arrears and promotion arrears, and remittance of third-party deductions.

    Government displeased; introduces ‘no work, no pay’ rule

    The Federal Government  directed vice chancellors to strictly implement the ‘No work, No-pay’ policy on striking members of  ASUU.

    Displeased with the union’s insistence to down tools, the Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa ordered vice chancellors to carry out physical headcounts of lecturers who report for work.

    He added that the National Universities Commission(NUC) would monitor compliance with the directive and submit a ‘’consolidated report’’  to his ministry.

    Alausa said  in a letter to the vice chancellors that the government was disappointed with the strike following  calls for the union to embrace constructive dialogue.

    ‘Shocking, painful, and a threat to our future’

    Nevertheless, students in tertiary institutions nationwide have offered differing views on the issue; some were shocked that the union could embark on strike, some expressed frustration at academic disruption, others called for constructive dialogue between the two parties.

    Umeh Chinecherem Samuel, a 300-Level student at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) said: “This strike came as a shock to me, to be honest I don’t like and approve of the strike at all.

    According to him, his small business, a lifeline for covering expenses, has  taken a hit after the strike was announced by the union.

     “This ongoing strike has affected the business I am currently running,” he added, highlighting the financial strain felt by many students forced to find alternative income sources amid the academic disruption.

    The frequent disruptions to Nigeria’s academic calendar have compounded the challenges for students like Umeh.

     “It is a lot, they end up rushing us which puts a lot of burden on us students,” he explained, describing how compressed semesters lead to overwhelming workloads.

    “With no access to lectures or practical sessions, students struggle to retain knowledge, and the uncertainty of when classes will resume looms large, threatening academic progress and morale,” he added.

    Umeh is equally critical of the government’s ‘no work, no pay’ policy, which withholds salaries from striking lecturers.

    “I believe it is  very wrong and don’t like it at all,” he stated firmly, arguing it escalates tensions without addressing the root of the problem.

    Despite his frustration, he sees ASUU’s strike as a necessary evil.

     “ASUU has no choice, that is the most effective way for the government to attend to  them faster, so I don’t blame them in any way,” he said, urging both sides to resolve the deadlock swiftly to save students’ education.

    Ogechukwu Thelma Idoh, a student at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Ago-Iwoye,  offers a contrasting perspective.

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     “It came up as a shock but I feel good about it because I’ve not resumed yet,” she said, noting the strike’s timing spared her travel costs since the semester hadn’t fully started.

    Ogechukwu,however,  feels the toll of repeated academic disruptions.  “I’ve been at home for too long, my head is getting inactive,” she said, lamenting the stagnation in her learning.

    However, she’s cautious about its potential escalation.  “It’s just two weeks, I just hope the strike doesn’t hold for a long time”, she remarked, wary of delays that could derail her graduation plans and future career opportunities.

    Musa Adams,  a  300-Level Computer Science student in UNILAG expressed his dissatisfaction .

    “I’m frustrated and tired.This strike will kill my momentum. I saw it coming, ASUU and the government never agreed but I hope it wouldn’t drag on for long,” he said.

    The frequent disruptions to the academic calendar have also affected Musa’s learning.

    “It’s chaotic. I forget concepts between strikes.  Self-study helps, but it’s not the same as lectures,” he said.

    Sunday Glory, a University of Benin (UNIBEN) student is disturbed.

    “The strike came right in the middle of my exams. Now I have to wait till it’s over before I can continue. It has stopped my progress completely,” she said.

    For her, the impact goes beyond the classroom. The delay means she won’t be able to move on to her final year as planned, pushing back her graduation and future goals.

    “It’s heart-breaking,” she explained. “I wanted to round off  with my university education quickly and move on to the next step of my life — even though I don’t have it all figured out yet. Now, everything feels like it’s on hold.”

    Like many students nationwide, she feels the weight of uncertainty caused by the strike. What should have been a steady academic journey has turned into a waiting game.

     “It’s just a delay in general to every planned goal,” she added. “I had an ongoing exam, and now everything is stuck.”

    A student at the University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN) Chidera Eze, wants the government to rethink the ‘no work no pay’ rule.

    Students tired of promises, swift resolution wanted

    For Dorcas Olayinka, a student  at the University of Ilorin(UNILORIN) the Federal Government should treat education  as a top national priority.

    “Students are tired of hearing promises that never translate into lasting solutions. The government must take responsibility for adequately funding public universities, improving infrastructure, and ensuring lecturers are paid on time. Investing in education is not an expense—it’s a foundation for national development. When lecturers go unpaid or facilities are in poor condition, students suffer  most,” she said.

    Another OOU student, Victor Oguntade,said: “I’m not shocked. The warning has been looming for a while. I’m just looking forward to a response from the Federal Government.

     “I don’t want anything to make me exceed that period. “I’ve already planned out other things after my sign-out.”

    The 400-Level  Computer Science major wants to launch a tech startup, but the uncertainty of a potential strike threatens to derail his timeline.

    For Oguntade and his peers, the union’s demands often seem to come at the cost of students’ future, ‘shattering the hopes of students,’ as he put it. As the stalemate continues, he called for a resolution that prioritises students’ welfare.

    “They should come to an agreement where both sides won’t make life harder for the students,” he said.  With the clock ticking towards his graduation date, Oguntade remains steadfast, determined to navigate the uncertainty and achieve his goals.

    NANS wade in

    In a statement yesterday, President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comr. Olushola Oladoja appealed to both ASUU and the Federal Government’s negotiation team to find a workable and lasting solution within the next seven days. He said students, many of whom are now studying through educational loans, cannot afford to have their academic calendar disrupted or their duration on campus extended again.

    “We strongly emphasise the need for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to personally intervene at this crucial time to prevent the gains achieved in the education sector under his Renewed Hope Administration from being eroded by another strike action,” he added.

  • ASUU strikes, symptom of broken promises

    ASUU strikes, symptom of broken promises

    • By Genesis Dansule

    Sir: Once again, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared another strike — a two-week warning action that could snowball into a full-blown shutdown of public universities if not urgently addressed. For many Nigerians, this is a familiar and frustrating story: the same accusations, the same promises, and the same cycle of disappointment that has come to define the country’s public education system.

    For over two decades, ASUU has battled successive governments over issues that should have been long resolved. The union’s grievances are well-known: revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, completion of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, withheld salaries, and the implementation of better welfare conditions for lecturers. These are not new demands; they are recurring issues that successive administrations have pledged to fix but never truly do.

    This tug-of-war has become a tragic routine — one that punishes the very group least responsible for the crisis: the students. Every new strike halts academic progress, disrupts graduation timelines, and pushes young people into idleness, frustration, and even crime. For parents, it means wasted money and shattered hopes. For lecturers, it means more resentment and uncertainty. And for the government, it means another dent in its credibility.

    It is easy to blame ASUU for being “too rigid” or “too confrontational,” but doing so ignores the root causes of their grievances. Industrial action is not the problem — it is a symptom of government neglect. When dialogue produces only empty promises, strikes become the only language that gets attention. The union’s methods may be disruptive, but their frustration is understandable in a system that consistently fails to honour its word.

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    That said, ASUU must also reflect on its strategy. While strikes draw attention, they also erode public sympathy over time. Ordinary Nigerians, especially students and parents, are now weary of endless shutdowns. The union should complement its agitation with creative alternatives — sustained public advocacy, collaboration with civil society, and transparent communication that shows Nigerians the full picture of its struggle.

    The government must rise above token gestures and half measures. A lasting solution requires more than press releases and committee meetings. It requires honesty — to admit the extent of decay — and commitment, to invest in real reform. Education is not charity; it is the foundation of national development. Every delay in addressing these issues is a delay in Nigeria’s progress.

    In the end, the ASUU strike is not merely an industrial dispute; it is a mirror reflecting Nigeria’s broken promises. And until we fix the system that produces these crises, our universities — and our future — will remain trapped in an endless loop of negotiation and neglect.

    •Genesis Dansule,

    University of Maiduguri.

  • ASUU: Inconvenient truth about varsity autonomy

    ASUU: Inconvenient truth about varsity autonomy

    • By Lekan Olayiwola

    Sir: Nigeria’s higher education debate has long been trapped in a false dichotomy between making universities “autonomous” and risking commercialization, fee hikes, and ideological anarchy on the one hand and letting them “state-controlled” and suffering bureaucracy, underfunding, and stagnation.

    This framing is both tired and misleading. Successful education systems—Germany, South Korea, India, even China—operate on a blended model: Strategic state stewardship over national priorities, equity, and standards and operational autonomy over curriculum, research, and internal governance.

    Nigeria’s problem is not that it controls its universities; it’s how it controls them through bureaucracy, patronage, and fear, not through performance, trust, or purpose. The result is paralysis disguised as policy. Every strike is treated as rebellion, every reform as surrender. The deeper question is: what exactly are universities for?

    Nigeria’s universities consume public funds but produce little in policy influence, research patents, or global standing. The reason is structural. Universities are funded as civil service appendages, not as knowledge industries.

    Vice Chancellors are treated like administrators, not visionaries. Research is funded episodically, not strategically. Budgets sustain bureaucracy, not innovation.

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    Autonomy, properly understood, would not mean withdrawal of funding. It would mean accountable freedom, a new covenant where funding follows performance, and performance is measured by impact, not by obedience.

    Until universities are allowed to function as strategic institutions competing for grants, solving national problems, shaping civic thought, funding will remain a ritual, not an investment.

    There is also a darker logic at work. Nigeria’s universities, in their weakened state, serve a quiet political purpose: they are containment zones.

    They absorb youth frustration, intellectual energy, and class anger, releasing them in predictable cycles of strikes and protests that never reach revolution. The dysfunction is not accidental; it is functional.

    A vibrant, independent university system would produce citizens harder to manipulate, thinkers harder to buy, and moral elite capable of demanding coherence from power. That is precisely why reform has been deferred, not because it’s impossible, but because it’s inconvenient.

    Rather than treating autonomy as separation from the state, it should be seen as shared authority with moral purpose based on four structural pivots that shift the conversation from confrontation to co-creation:

    Fear of autonomy: Redefine control as strategic stewardship. The federal government sets national learning goals—digital literacy, civic ethics, agricultural modernization—while universities determine how to meet them.

    Funding gaps: Create Sovereign Knowledge Funds, financed by royalties from natural resources and co-managed by academia and industry. These funds would reward research with measurable social impact.

    Intellectual stagnation: Build Think Clusters, cross-university labs competing for policy and innovation grants so lecturers no longer strike merely for survival, but strive for relevance.

    Public distrust: Mandate Transparency Dashboards, where universities publish open data on spending, research outputs, and community engagement.

    This is not privatization, but a purposeful decentralization where ownership remains public, but trust becomes the operating system. In this model, autonomy is not a prize to be won through strikes or decrees, but a status to be earned through competence, clarity, and contribution.

    What Nigeria needs is not another strike or another bailout, but a National Higher Education Compact—a covenant between government, academia, and the public. This compact would define what universities are for, what freedoms they require, what responsibilities they must bear.

    It would also enshrine a new moral logic that universities exist not merely to produce graduates, but to cultivate citizenship, conscience, and creativity. In such a vision, government becomes a steward of values, not a gatekeeper of thought; and ASUU becomes a vanguard of renewal, not an instrument of resistance.

    Nigeria must now face its inconvenient truth: autonomy is not an act of rebellion, but of responsibility. The university cannot remain both captive to politics and servant to progress. The real question is not who owns the university? But who controls the future?

    Nigeria must be a country where knowledge matters, where policy is evidence-driven, and where universities become engines of national intelligence.

    Both ASUU and the federal government must move beyond ritual negotiations to structural imagination that builds an education system which is not only autonomous but authoritative, purposeful, and indispensable.

    •Lekan Olayiwola,

    lekanolayiwola@gmail.com

  • ASUU and strikes, five and six

    ASUU and strikes, five and six

    “Obuko de, oorun de!” is that picturesque Yoruba jive that speaks to the notoriety of the goat and its over-powering smell — “obuko de, oorun de!”

    You can very well say that of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).  It’s new executive appears anxious to prove its Aluta bona fides!  That’s clear from the latest warning strike declared by new ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, from October 13.

    To boot, on TVC, Prof. Piwuna appeared in full strike camouflage — a Nigeria Labour Congress-branded top, in all its organized Labour imperial majesty! His Excellency, the Aluta President of university egg-heads, was on air: Aluta yesterday, Aluta today, Aluta forever!  Aluta continua, victoria ascerta!

    By the way, shouldn’t university dons belong to the upper-suite Trade Union Congress (TUC), and not the shop-floor NLC?  In old Rome, that would have been patricians passing off as plebeians — a democratic choice, no crime!

    Still, pray: what’s that quip about madness — doing the same thing all over but expecting a different result, right?  But that must have been the last thing on the mind of the garlanded “strikers”, Piwuna and comrades! 

    Otherwise, shouldn’t there have been a troubling, tugging sense of deja vu?  Haven’t we seen these ill-thought strikes before?  What did they achieve? 

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    The last time, it was a grinding eight-month affair (14 February-14 October 2022), with the “strike heroes” nearly kissing bye-bye their salaries.  President Muhammadu Buhari (God bless his soul!) had enforced the no-work-no-pay rule — and rightly so!

    Though President Bola Tinubu came in and halved that liability, the Federal Government has already asked Vice Chancellors of federal universities to strictly apply that rule yet again — deja vu?  To think ASUU, which already added that four-month forfeited pay as “unpaid salary”, in its eternal agitation, is already threatening another “indefinite” strike!

    Will ASUU yet add pay for work not done for months — however this present action pans out — to its already rich stock of “unpaid salaries”?  Blessed — or is it blasted? — are this generation of delusional academics, for Aluta answers all questions?

    Not so, insist other unions on the academia.  The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) said no to the strike.  So has the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) which, after decades of stomaching ASUU’s strikes-or-nothing rigidity, decided to opt out of the body.   Gradually the realm is melting but ASUU is too far gone to notice!

    Still, there are always two sides — or even more — to a story.  Between the ASUU and the Federal Government, hardly do you know who to believe. Nevertheless, the government should do everything within its power to ensure the strike is not prolonged.

    As for ASUU, no matter the merit of its case, its members ought by now to realize that they labour under a “strike” cabal.  That’s scandalous for academics that should think through problems, and not glory their lack of rigorous thinking with strikes.

    Dons in Denmark just gave the world “living” cement. Dons in Nigeria are luxuriating in strikes as cutting-edge thinking!  The earlier ASUU threw off the strike cabal undoing its destiny, the better for the Nigerian academia — and everyone!

  • We wont be blackmailed into ASUU’s strike – Medical lecturers

    We wont be blackmailed into ASUU’s strike – Medical lecturers

    The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has declared it is not a member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and could not be forced into joining the ongoing strike, being an independent body focused on protecting the interests of medical lecturers

    The group dismissed reports suggesting that its members have joined the ongoing ASUU strike, stating that it “will not be blackmailed, coaxed, or lured away from the interest of its members.”

    NAMDA said it remains an independent union capable of negotiating its interests without being coerced by other academic bodies.

    NAMDA, the trade union for medical lecturers in universities, tertiary health institutions and research institutions, stated that it is responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, including the training of postgraduate doctors and dentists across Nigeria.

    The union affirmed that it reserves the right to apply legitimate means, including legal actions, to pursue its demands.

    “A withdrawal of services directed by the relevant organ of our union will only rely on relevant sections of our constitution,” it emphasised, warning that such an action, if necessary, would have significant impacts on the critical sectors of education and health.

    In a statement on Wednesday jointly signed by its President, Dr. Nosa Lancy Orhue; Secretary-General, Dr. Abdulrahman Shehu; and National Liaison Officer/Organising Secretary, Dr. Muhammad Askira, the association stressed that it would not allow itself to be blackmailed, coaxed or lured away from the interests of its members. 

    “NAMDA is an independent union that has the capacity to negotiate its interests and support mutual respect. We are not on strike, and we will not be blackmailed against, coaxed against, or lured away from the interest of its members,” the group stated.

    Read Also: UI ASUU chair faults FG’s ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy, calls for dialogue to end strike

    It explained that despite an earlier clarification, it continues to receive calls from members, journalists, and the public seeking clarity on its position in relation to ASUU’s withdrawal of services.

    The statement added that NAMDA members had long been abandoned by the system, but the union would continue to support only legitimate demands that do not negatively affect the critical interests of its members.

    “NAMDA is aware of the various engagements between the Federal Government and other unions in recent times, and with the exclusion of some other unions, including NAMDA in the university system. 

    “Curiously, it appears these engagements did not resolve the impasse significantly. NAMDA has presented its demands to the Federal Government through the Ministries of Labour and Education,” it said.

    According to the group, its leadership had met with the Minister of Education in a session facilitated by the Minister of Labour and Employment, and the outcome was described as “very encouraging.”

    “The Minister promised to quickly and conclusively resolve some of the most challenging issues for medical lecturers in the university system. 

    This demand includes the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Workers Salary Structure (CONMESS),” the statement reads.

    NAMDA also listed other key issues under discussion with the Federal Government, “Among the demands is also the withdrawal of the obnoxious compulsory requirement of a PhD by medical lecturers, with fellowship for academic career promotion and eligibility to vie for the position of Vice Chancellor,” the union said.

    It further called for the approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the scheme of service contained in the memorandum CM(90)92 from its 11th meeting in 1990, which was based on the recommendations of the committee led by the late Chief Justice of Nigeria, Chief Atanda Fatai Williams.

    NAMDA also drew attention to the controversy surrounding the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), alleging that an error from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) created the impression that the benefits were meant solely for ASUU members.

    “The Minister had apologised for the error in the letter directing its disbursement. Some university managements attempted to exclude NAMDA members, which was actively supported by one of the sister unions,” it stated.

    According to the association, the Governing Council of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, even responded to NAMDA’s branch claiming that medical lecturers were not entitled to EAA. 

    The association said it had since asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate how two conflicting letters on the same matter emanated from the AGF’s office.

    NAMDA said it hopes to further engage the Federal Government through the committee set up to negotiate with university-based unions to push forward its long-neglected demands.

  • UI ASUU chair faults FG’s ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy, calls for dialogue to end strike

    UI ASUU chair faults FG’s ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy, calls for dialogue to end strike

    The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, has criticised the federal government’s decision to enforce the ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy on striking lecturers, describing it as a panicky and knee-jerk response.

    Speaking with The Nation on Tuesday about the ongoing 14-day warning strike, Dr. Afolabi said the government’s approach would not resolve the crisis.

    He, however, urged the federal government to convene a meeting with the union and sign the draft agreement submitted by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed committee.

    Read Also: Speaker Abbas to lead Reps’ move to resolve FG-ASUU crisis

    “This is a panicky and knee-jerk response that is not a recipe for resolving the crisis. The Federal Government should convene a meeting with our union to sign the draft agreement submitted by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Committee. This warning strike could have been avoided if the report submitted to the Minister of Education in February 2025 had been signed,” Afolabi stated.

    The strike, which began on Monday, followed the union’s frustration over what it described as the government’s failure to honour past agreements.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has directed vice-chancellors to strictly implement the ‘no-work, no-pay’ directive against striking ASUU members.

    He also ordered physical headcounts of lecturers present at work, adding that the National Universities Commission (NUC) would monitor compliance and submit a consolidated report to the ministry.

    Alausa expressed disappointment that the strike commenced despite the government’s appeals for dialogue, insisting that most of the union’s demands within its purview had already been addressed.