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| 145 | Awele Chiekwene
ASUU Debunks rumours of Imminent Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been the greatest fear of all undergraduate students in Nigeria. Ever since its 16th ever strike in 2022 that lasted for eight months, students have been on edge as it caused a realization that the union can really take drastic measures.
Unfortunately, after the long strike of eight months, the federal government of Nigeria did not consent to the demands of their request to pay the academic staff in federal universities due to Nigeria’s work policy of ‘No work, No pay’. This matter was dragged on to court in late June cum July, which resulted in a mild Protest, but the industrial court stood with the federal government and set up a penalty to prevent the union from undergoing another strike. Details on this news can be found HERE.
The Union was discovered to have held a meeting with the National Executive Council (NEC) on the 19TH of August at the University of Maiduguri. Osodeke stated that the ‘No work, No Pay’ policy ignored the fact that only the teaching component of academic work was suspended during the strike.
He said ASUU received reports of mass exit of academics due to poor working conditions. “We call on the new administration to save our nation by rejecting the pervasive neo-liberal policies that have brought untold hardship on academics, the working class, and all the underprivileged Nigerians,” Osodeke said.
Rumours ever since have been going round on an imminent strike. The main factor behind this could be from the fact that ever since 2022, whenever the union gathered together a strike proposal is always lying at the corner. When Osodeke was approached with this, he described the rumours as “malicious and unfortunate”.
“We never mentioned the issue of another strike. Are we looking to create confusion? I'm just confused,” he said.
Students can rest easy as there is clearly no sign of a strike in sight for the next few months.
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