The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its two-week warning strike following overnight deliberations by its National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the decision at a press briefing on Wednesday, noting that the NEC meeting, which began on Tuesday, ended around 4:00 a.m.
Piwuna said the suspension followed “useful engagements” between the union and representatives of the Federal Government over the draft renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
“We’ve had constructive conversations with government representatives. While we are not where we want to be, the government’s decision to return to the negotiation table is a step forward,” he said.
He explained that the NEC’s decision was also influenced by appeals from students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who had urged the union to give dialogue another chance.
“Consequently, the union resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians,” Piwuna added.
ASUU, however, gave the Federal Government a one-month window to meet its demands or risk the resumption of industrial action without further notice.
The union’s demands include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, payment of three and a half months of withheld salaries, revitalisation and sustainable funding of public universities, and an end to the alleged victimisation of lecturers in institutions such as LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.
Other demands include the payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, settlement of promotion arrears spanning over four years, and release of withheld third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions and union check-off dues.
ASUU had declared the strike on Monday, October 13, citing the government’s failure to meet its long-standing commitments to the education sector.
