Nigeria ASUU Strike 2022 - Latest on the Issue

On social media over the weekend, some Nigerians condemned the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke, for calling for the leaders who have allowed the union's strike to continue to be voted out of power during the 2023 general elections.

Mr. Osodeke stated that the union was mobilizing Nigerians and educating them on why and how to use their voter cards.

Mr. Osodeke, who spoke in a recent media interaction aired by Africa Independent Television (AIT), bemoaned the Nigerian government's lackluster response to his union's agitation.

He accused the government of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerian students, parents, and the university system by allowing the ivory towers to close in February.

He stated that Nigerians should vote out all those who have supported the ASUU strike for nearly six months.

"We also appeal to Nigerians, because this is their life," he said. And the best part is that they should be able to vote in the next five to six months. They should vote out those who have subjected them to this. It is their legal right. "We are mobilizing Nigerians to vote using Permanent Voter Cards (PVC)." We are educating Nigerians to understand that the current set of leaders have no feelings for Nigerian students or for Nigeria as a country. And it is for this reason that they look down on the educational system, allowing universities to be closed for nearly six months without response."

The Backlash from ASUU

While the ASUU president made no mention of any leader or political party, many Nigerians assumed his remark was aimed at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and accused the union of being political with its current strike.

"ASUU is just the education wing of PDP," tweeted @StFreakingKezy.

"ASUU has shown their hand, and I hope FG will simply take them to the Industrial Court and get a judgement that forces them back to work," another user, @GbengaGOLD, said. At this point, it's clear that he's partisan."

"The ASUU President confirmed the strike was over the upcoming election." Most rational Nigerians realized this a long time ago, hence the deliberate stalling and refusal to bend. It's unfortunate that they're causing so many people to suffer, including their own members," @dryaks tweeted.

"The negotiation is unlikely to happen soon," says @ahafizmarusa in another tweet. ASUU has taken a political stance, possibly to blackmail FG into submission, but it may backfire, and we, the students, will continue to suffer as a result of their failure to resolve this issue."

The ASUU Strike

ASUU went on strike in February to demand increased university funding and better remuneration for its members.

The union also wants the government to replace the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as a payment platform for its members with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

According to ASUU, IPPIS is riddled with irregularities and fails to recognize the unique characteristics of universities.

As the strike continues, President Muhammadu Buhari on July 19 directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to take over negotiations with the striking lecturers from his counterpart at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

Mr Adamu reportedly told the President that if given permission, he could address the issues "within two to three weeks."

On August 1, almost two weeks after his pledge, ASUU extended its strike for another four weeks.

Meanwhile, our source reported that the minister will brief Nigerians next Thursday on the status of negotiations with the workers union.

Buhari appeals to striking workers once more.

Meanwhile, President Buhari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, professor Ibrahim Gambari, has again urged ASUU to reconsider its position on the ongoing strike.

The President stated on Friday at a special convocation ceremony organized by the University of Maiduguri to confer an honorary doctorate degree on a business mogul, Muhammadu Indimi, that "the nation cannot afford long interruptions of higher education of the youths and would not undermine the development of the nation's human capital in a strictly competitive world."

ASUU is not the only university-based union that has gone on strike.

The Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and other Associated Institutions (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) are also on strike in response to similar demands.