Why strike may not end soon, says ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it would not end its nine-month old strike until government paid all the salaries of its members it withheld.

The President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, in a telephone interview with The Punch, said government should not expect the lecturers to resume without paying the withheld salaries.

Recall that there were reports on November 27 that the union had agreed to end its strike, following the Federal Government’s promise to release N70 billion to ASUU as earned allowance.

But Ogunyemi on Sunday explained that the members were still consulting and at the same time waiting for the government to fulfil its promise of releasing members’ withheld salaries.

“We are still consulting, we have not finished consultation; by the end of this week we shall make our report public. There are promises government made with dates. Government promised to release salaries of our members. The withheld salaries have not been paid and we need to have information on that. Government should not expect us to resume without releasing our salaries,” he said.

He emphasised that once the timeline expired this week without the salaries being paid, the union would take a final decision.

Ogunyemi also said that he could not determine when ASUU would suspend the strike.

“I can’t vouch for anything about resumption, but my members will determine that. The only thing I know is that payment of withheld salaries can smoothen the process and that is what we have told the government. It will aid the final decision.

“The government gave a timeline and we are monitoring, once the timeline expires this week, our members will take a final decision. If they pay the withheld salaries, it will make the process easier to handle,” the ASUU president added.