It’s too late – ASUU slams FG over last-minute appeal on strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has frowned at a last-minute appeal from the Federal Government, asking the union to suspend its proposed warning strike.

The union has now claimed the intervention came “a little too late.”

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, stated this on Thursday while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, accusing the government of failing to act promptly on the union’s long-standing demands.

“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 three weeks to address its grievances after a previous meeting in Sokoto, but received no communication during that period.

Piwuna stated, “We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action.

“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.”

Piwuna said the government only reached out two working days before the proposed strike, appealing for it to be suspended.