BREAKING: ASUU Suspends Two-Week Warning Strike, Gives FG One-Month Ultimatum To Meet Demands

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week nationwide warning strike, bringing temporary relief to students and parents across the country who have been anxious about another prolonged disruption in the academic calendar.

The suspension was announced on Wednesday at a press conference held at the union’s national headquarters in Abuja.

Addressing newsmen, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, said the decision to call off the strike followed the intervention of the Nigerian Senate and “other well-meaning Nigerians” who appealed for dialogue and reconciliation between the union and the Federal Government.

Prof. Piwuna noted that after a marathon deliberation at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, ASUU resolved to grant the government a one-month grace period to address the unresolved issues that triggered the industrial action.

> “Our NEC has decided to suspend the two-week warning strike to give room for the ongoing engagement initiated by the Senate and other concerned Nigerians. However, we wish to make it categorically clear that this suspension should not be mistaken for surrender,” Piwuna cautioned.

“We are giving the Federal Government one month to concretely address our demands. Failure to do so will leave us with no option than to reconvene and take decisive action.”

The union’s demands, he reiterated, include the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 agreement, payment of withheld salaries and earned academic allowances, release of revitalization funds for public universities, and an end to the use of the controversial Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for lecturers’ salaries.

ASUU’s latest decision comes amid growing public concern over the recurring crisis between the union and the Federal Government, which has repeatedly plunged the nation’s tertiary education system into instability.

As the one-month deadline begins to count, all eyes will now be on the government to see whether it will seize the opportunity to avert another full-blown strike in the nation’s universities.

Details shortly…