- VC Assures Of Conveying ABU ASUU’s Demands To FG
By National Record, with Agency Report
THE ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja on Tuesday joined their counterparts in solidarity with a nationwide action. The demonstration is in response to the federal government’s failure to meet several longstanding financial obligations to academic staff.
During a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, the Chapter Chairman, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, stated that the union’s prolonged patience had been met with continued government inaction on critical issues affecting the university system.
Dr. Ugoh explained that the primary objective of the protest is to highlight the significant economic hardships currently faced by university lecturers across Nigeria.
A central point of contention is the outdated salary structure. Dr. Ugoh noted that academic staff have been compensated under the same wage framework since 2009, despite a government agreement stipulating a comprehensive review every three years.
He provided a historical context, recalling that the 2009 agreement, which was due for renegotiation in 2012, was not revisited until 2017.
The renegotiation process, he said, was ultimately concluded by the Yayale Ahmed-led committee in February 2025. However, since the committee’s report was submitted, the government has not communicated any plans for its implementation.
The financial grievances include specific unpaid sums. Ugoh reported that the government currently withholds three and a half months of salaries, in addition to one year of arrears from a 25 and 35 per cent wage award. He said arrears for staff promotion benefits remain outstanding.
Ugoh concluded with a grave assessment of the situation, stating that the financial strain and poor welfare conditions have created severe hardship for lecturers. He attributed several recent deaths among academic staff to these pressures of stress and deteriorating living conditions.
We’ll convey your demands to FG – ABU VC
Meanwhile the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, assured members of ASUU, ABU Branch, of his administration’s continuous support as they press the Federal Government to address lingering challenges in the university system.
The vice-chancellor made the remarks while receiving the union members during the branch’s peaceful protest on campus in Zaria on Tuesday. Ahmed said the university’s management would not only listen to the concerns of ASUU but also convey them to the Governing Council and the Federal Government.
“Whatever position you want us to communicate to the higher authorities, we will continue to listen to you and take it beyond the council of this university, but also to the federal government,” he said.
The vice-chancellor commended the union for staging the protest peacefully, describing it as part of ASUU’s ongoing efforts to draw government’s attention to the plight of universities in the country.
“We will continue to appreciate the union for its past struggles which have brought considerable relief to the university system.
“That struggle must continue until the desired results are achieved; As a university, we will provide all necessary support to ensure the welfare of all union members is sustained and maintained,” Adamu added.
Speaking shortly after the protest Prof. Haruna Jibril, Branch Chairman of the Academic Staff (ASUU), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), criticised the Federal Government for allegedly neglecting the education sector and treating the plight of lecturers with seeming ‘indifference.’
Jibril faulted government’s failure to implement the renegotiated 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, despite repeated promises.
He alleged that the authorities have continued to employ delay tactics even after receiving the report on the renegotiated agreement from its committee.
The chairman stressed that the union had exercised patience and avoided strike action for more than two years in the hope that the government would resolve the crisis amicably.
On the proposed loan scheme for lecturers, Jibril said the union had rejected the offer, but would not stop individual members from accessing it if they so wish.
He cautioned, “If the government fails to take urgent and serious action on the lingering challenges, the union would be left with no option but to shut down universities.”
