The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cautioned Nigerians to brace for another possible shutdown of public universities, insisting that the Federal Government should be held responsible for the looming crisis.
The warning was issued on Monday by ASUU’s Benin Zone, comprising 10 universities, during a press briefing at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State.
Speaking on behalf of the zone, the Coordinator, Prof. Monday Igbafen, accused the government of deliberately neglecting its obligations and pushing lecturers towards another strike.
“We want Nigerians to understand clearly that ASUU is not the problem. Hold the Federal Government accountable for the paralysis that is about to befall Nigerian universities,” Igbafen declared.
The union highlighted unresolved issues including the signing of the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, implementation of reviewed conditions of service, release of withheld salaries and promotion arrears, and proper funding of universities.
According to Igbafen, despite suspending its last strike in October 2022, the Federal Government has failed to fulfill its commitments. He stressed that the draft renegotiated 2009 Agreement remains unsigned, while arrears of promotion entitlements and withheld salaries are yet to be paid.
“At the moment, the Federal Government is still unwilling to pay years of arrears, continues to underfund the system, and has refused to release our withheld three and a half months’ salaries and third-party deductions,” he said.
ASUU also accused political leaders of deliberately undermining public education while sending their children to study abroad. The lecturers reiterated that strike action was never their preferred option but argued that government inaction had left them no choice.
“It is unimaginable that in the face of skyrocketing costs of living, lecturers are left to endure a poor salary structure that has remained stagnant for 16 years,” Igbafen noted. “This is a critical moment in the history of Nigerian universities, as the system is on the brink of collapse.”
The union appealed to Nigerians — including students, parents, labour unions, civil society groups, and other stakeholders — to mount pressure on the government to honour its agreements and save the education sector from further decay.
The Benin Zone of ASUU comprises the University of Benin, Ambrose Alli University, Adekunle Ajasin University, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Delta State University, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, University of Delta, Dennis Osadebay University, and Southern Delta University.
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