The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has officially declared a nationwide protest across university campuses in the country.
The action is aimed at expressing strong dissatisfaction with what the union described as the Federal Government’s persistent neglect of its demands. According to ASUU, the protest will be coordinated simultaneously in every branch of the union.
The union had issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, urging it to immediately delist ASUU from the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF). The union argued that its inclusion in the government’s new loan scheme was a deliberate ploy to conscript it as a “guarantor of loans it knows nothing about.”
The warning was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto. The document, signed by ASUU President Christopher Piwuna, highlighted several unresolved disputes with the government, insisting that protests had become necessary due to the government’s slow response.
ASUU emphasized that instead of creating loan schemes that provide little relief to academics, the Federal Government should prioritize releasing the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries of its members. The union maintained that payment of the outstanding wages would bring more value and dignity to its members than the TISSF initiative.
The communiqué read in part: “NEC resolved to reject the ploy to conscript ASUU as ‘guarantor’ of loans the union knows nothing about and demands that ASUU be delisted from the process. NEC calls on the government to fast-track the conclusion and implementation of the lingering renegotiation of the FGN-ASUU agreement by the Yayale Ahmed-led committee, guided by the principles of collective bargaining.”
It further stressed that, “NEC resolved to press for the release of the withheld three-and-a-half-month salaries of ASUU members instead of loans that will add little or no value to their lives.” The union said the protests would also serve as a reminder that academics deserve better working conditions and improved welfare.
Recall that the Federal Government, through the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had launched the TISSF, a zero percent interest loan scheme designed for both academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions. The scheme allows eligible staff to access up to N10 million, provided they have at least five years left before retirement and belong to recognised staff unions, including ASUU.
Despite the launch, ASUU rejected the initiative outright, stressing that it amounted to a distraction from the real issues. The union accused the government of foot-dragging on fundamental matters such as the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, university autonomy, conditions of service, funding, and academic freedom.
In its communiqué, ASUU also announced plans to launch the “Tertiary Institutions Transparency and Accountability Solution” (TITAS). The union explained that this new system would serve as an upgrade and replacement for the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which was previously developed as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The union listed other grievances, including the need for a comprehensive review of the laws governing the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). According to ASUU, these agencies currently operate in ways that undermine university autonomy and academic freedom.
On the planned protest, the communiqué stated: “NEC discussed the state of the struggle and the government’s slow pace in addressing the issues in contention. Consequently, NEC resolved to organise protests across all the branches simultaneously on a fixed date. As part of the protest activities, Press Conferences would be held in all branches.”
With the protest date now fixed for Tuesday, August 26, the stage is set for another round of confrontation between ASUU and the Federal Government.
