The Academic Staff Union of Universities has criticised the Federal Government’s late attempt to halt its proposed warning strike, describing the intervention as “a little too late.”
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, commented on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, accusing the government of failing to treat the union’s demands with urgency.
“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” Piwuna said.
He recalled that the union had given the government a three-week deadline after a previous meeting in Sokoto, but said no follow-up communication came from the authorities within that period.
“We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action,” he explained. “They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed, not a word from them, courtesy to even say, ‘Oh gentlemen, we think we are running short, three weeks is around the corner, we are unable to meet with you on so-and-so date.’ Nothing, until we threatened action.”
According to Piwuna, it was only two working days before the proposed strike that the government reached out to appeal for suspension of the planned action.
The ASUU President maintained that the union’s members would proceed with their planned warning strike once the current ultimatum expires on Sunday unless the government presents tangible solutions. ASUU had earlier directed its branches across the country to prepare for a two-week warning strike expected to commence on October 13.
