ASUU: Union Threatens Fresh Crisis, Requests Intervention

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has requested stakeholders and concerned Nigerians to pressure the Federal Government into paying its members' withheld eight-month salaries, threatening a new crisis if its demands are unmet.

Prof. Moyosore Ajao, the Chairman of the Union's University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) chapter, gave the threat during the chapter's congress on Monday. 

The Chairman's speech was read by the union's Secretary, Dr AbdulGaniyu Olatunji in the University's main auditorium.

"Members of the public are hereby sensitised and put on notice again that a fresh crisis, which will surpass all previous ones, is looming again in Nigerian universities as our members cannot and will not continue to do free work that will not be remunerated.

The chapter's congress where journalists were addressed on  ‘Casualisation of Intellectual Workers in Nigeria: Prelude to Our Response.’ came after a demonstration was staged within the institution's campus.

"We hope that with this notice, all relevant stakeholders, who have the ear of the government, will act fast before the fragile peace restored on our campuses nationwide collapses.

“Our union and its members should not be held responsible for the consequences that its actions, in response to the crude wickedness of the Nigerian state, would have on all stakeholders,” Ajao said.

Lecturers in Nigerian public universities have protested the half-salary payment and withheld salaries by the federal government following the 'no work no pay' policy.