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ASUU Strike 2019 has been called off – Why we called off strike – ASUU

    Finally, ASUU Strike 2019 has been called off, and the Academic Staff Union Of Universities, ASUU, has stated the reason why the strike was actually called off.

    We are very happy to inform you that ASUU has officially suspends over 3 months strike, which is 95 Days of Strike. ASUU has warned that this is just a suspension of the strike and not an outright call-off.

    The strike was called off after a two-hour meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige. After reaching an agreement with the Federal Government.

    His information was disclosed on the official twitter handle of the union. According to ASUU, academic activities will resume immediately as from tomorrow, 8th Feb, 2019

    FG is committed to the implementation of the FGN-ASUU 2013 (MoU) and in consonance with this commitment; Government will be releasing the sum of 25bn only in the period April/May 2019, as a sign of good faith.

    Why ASUU Strike Was Suspended

    This was contained in a Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed by ASUU and the Federal Government on Thursday. Highlights of the Memorandum of Action include the following;
    Why ASUU Strike Was Suspended

    *. In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume full implementation of the MoU of 2013.

    *. Part-payment of the outstanding arrears of the earned academic allowances; defraying the balance up to 2018 in 4 tranches within 36 months; and mainstreaming further payments of EAA into the annual budgets beginning from 2019 budget.

    *. PICA verification and the release of the arrears of salary shortfall at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, not later than 15th February 2019.

    *. Strengthening the Consultative Committee on State-owned Universities (CCSOU), inaugurated on Monday, 28th January, 2019 to look into the issues of proliferation, underfunding and governance to consistently deliver on its mandate.

    *. Payment of the outstanding EAA arrears of all eligible staff in the University of Ilorin, especially the loyal ASUU members whose appointments were illegally terminated by today, 7th February, 2019.

    *. Acknowledgement and appreciation of Government for facilitating the release of the final letter of approval for the granting of operational license to NUPEMCO.

    *. Visitation to all Federal Universities would commence tentatively by 11th March, 2019.

    *. Provision of documented guidelines on procedures and roles of parties in the process of renegotiating FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009 which would commence not later than 18th February 2019 and end by Friday 29th March 2019.

    The ASUU president further stated that should Government fail to fulfill its part of the agreement as reflected in this 2019 Memorandum of Action, ASUU shall resume its suspended strike action as the Union deems necessary.


    This is the Latest ASUU Strike Update 2019. This article contains all the ASUU Updates. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike is still ongoing, and this is more than 50days. This is not welcoming for our educational system in Nigeria.

    All the Universities who are involved in the ASUU Strike are doing their best to begin study resumption, but it all looks like Federal Government (FG), is not responding appropriately.

    But this time around, ASUU hasn’t been welcoming. Few days ago, Federal Government promised to inject millions of Naira but ASUU blatantly reject all their offer.

    Sincerely, the educational system in Nigeria is not that encouraging, and most students aren’t happy with the strike. However, we will continue to update this article till the strike ends.

    When did ASUU Strike Commence?

    ASUU Strike officially commenced on the first week of November, 2018. On that fateful day, the National President of the ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said all entreaties made to the Federal Government to honour the agreement with the union fell on deaf ears and they had no other alternative but to begin the strike action.

    “This strike will be total, comprehensive and indefinite. Our members shall withdraw their services until government fully implements all outstanding issues as contained in the MOA of 2017, and concludes the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements.” He said.

    Ogunyemi alleged that the government was not interested in public universities as the children of the top politicians and rich men in the society patronize private universities at the detriment of public universities.

    ASUU Commences Nationwide Strike but the announcement was made after the National Executive Council meeting held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State on Sunday night.

    asuu strike

    ASUU Strike Update – Day 89

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government on Friday ended in deadlock and was adjourned to February 7.

    However, the meeting which started few minutes to 12 noon and ended at 3:15 pm was held at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja.

    The national president of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi, said that ”we have another set of information for our members and we will like to hear from them before saying anything.

    The national president of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi, also disclosed that the meeting has been adjourned till next week Thursday.

    On the other hand, the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige after the meeting said all the demands of the unions have been met.

    Ngige further stated that the Government will not be able to afford the N50 Billion Naira ASUU is demanding as part of commitment towards the revitalisation of public universities; however, the FG has offered something reasonable which ASUU are taking back to their members..\

    ASUU Strike Update – Day 85

    On the 28th of January, Minister of Education says strike may end this week, this was disclosed during a briefing with newsmen on the proliferation of illegal institutions in the country, over the weekend in Abuja.

    Malam Adamu said: “Perhaps by next week I hope the ASUU strike will be over.”

    He said: “All I can say, for now, is that we are still consulting. We need to take stock of government’s promises in terms of aspects that have been fulfilled and what is left. We hope to get back to them in the coming week.”

    He was however hopeful that a resolution would be reached when ASUU and the FG would be meeting during the week.

    According to him, while progress had been made in two areas of discussion, the government had yet to convince ASUU that it is ready to deal with the issue of the infrastructure revitalisation fund of N220bn.

    Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, had earlier on Saturday, said that the Federal Government’s claim that it released N163bn to settle part of the demands of the union was misleading.

    He stated that it is the university administration that receive and spend all the money coming into the university. ASUU doesn’t receive money from government and doesn’t spend it.

    Day 78

    On the 21st of January, ASUU and FG held a crucial meeting, where the meeting lasted for four hours, but unfortunately, it could not yield a positive result as ASUU Chairman has insisted that the strike will continue.

    This conclusion was reached, after Federal Government showed no commitment towards the funding and revitalisation of universities.

    However, Senator Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, discloses that the federal government has released N163 billion to universities from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    The ASUU Chairman, Professor Ogunyemi, told newsmen that the issue of funding and revitalisation of universities was too crucial too be left out, and so the union cannot call off the strike if nothing is done to commit to that issue. He said; “The most critical of all is revitalisation,” he said. “Revitalisation is central to our work as academics and unless that area is addressed, members will have issues with ongoing action.”

    He then added; “They gave us their response to our proposals, there were still grey areas that we are trying to sort out. So, when we finish those areas, you will know the full outcome.”

    Ngige says most of the issues with the academic union have been resolved following a meeting held on Monday, January 21. And the minister notes that the striking lecturers are not asking for N50 billion before they would call off their ongoing strike.

    On the Federal Government Part, Dr Ngige said; “We have started defraying the end allowances there, we have also released N15.4 billion for the shortfall in payment of salaries, and we have also agreed today to fund revitalisation,” he explained to reporters at the end of the meeting.

    Ngige continued; “We are going to expend some money there; this is irrespective of the fact that government has released from the TETfund account about N163 billion.”

    ASUU is expected to again, consult with members before taking the next step, and then reach the FG for another meeting, at a later date.

    Meanwhile, at the resumed meeting today, Dr. Ngige said the meeting is aimed at bringing the strike to a halt. Also, the ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union hoped the federal government would do the needful to resolve the strike.

    Day 74

    On the 17th of January, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has show concern by asking FG to release N50 Billion Naira. By injecting this money, they might consider cutting off the strike.

    According to the union, the 50 Billion will form the first tranche of the N220 billion government agreed for the project this year and add to the N20 billion earlier released for the year.

    President of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said that the union is not asking the government to release the whole N220 billion at once but can spread the N220 billion for revitalisation of universities across four quarters.

    “In which case, the N50 billion they will release now, if you add to what they released, N20 billion for last year, we would have 150 billion left for the rest of the year and that has been spread over the next three quarters.

    “That’s what we’ve been saying as our minimalist position,” he said.

    Day 72

    On the 15th off January, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is looking forward to cutting off the strike, but they have provided some condition list to FG.

    There is only one condition, ASUU is boldly asking the Federal Government to quickly release additional N50 billion to the N20 billion released earlier for revitalisation fund and show evidence of mainstreaming the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) into the 2019 budget and evidence of the payment of shortfall in salaries.

    President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said this to newsmen in an interview:

    “There are basically two or three major areas; one is on the revitalisation fund. We presented to them that government owed an outstanding balance of N1.1 trillion in five tranches. But what government eventually proposed is something that is far-fetched. They were talking about N20 billion that will be released in two tranches starting from next quarter, and we felt that will not address the issue at hand. Though they said that they released N20 billion earlier, the N20 billion was to be released in 2017, if they released it in November 2018, it is not the same thing.

    “Out of the N20 billion that the government released earlier, we have outstanding N200 billion. So, if government can release N50 billion in addition to the N20 billion released earlier; and the remaining N150 billion can be released on quarterly basis within this year, N50 billion each for the remaining three quarters, then it will show a sign of commitment.”

    Day 71

    The Academic staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has promised to continue the strike, and offering to make it indefinite by all means.

    The board of management has deem it fit to continue the strike, but there is only condition that will make them lift the strike – only if FG pay the N220 billion.

    On the 14th of January, 2019, the National President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi said that ASUU has shifted from N1.1 trillion to N220 billion which he said will cover for three quarters in 2019.

    Still on the same day, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) openly pleaded with FG to meet ASUU demands, in order to cut off the strike.

    Day 69

    Then on the 12th of January, 2019, ASUU officially rejects Federal Government offer. And also the members of the union across various campuses and zones rejected it.

    During Goodluck Jonathan time, the government released N200 billion in 2013 but since then nothing more has been paid, One of the major issues that has been dragging the negotiations forth and back is the revitalisation of the universities.

    As at Saturday morning, the government was yet to release the N1.1 trillion of the N1.3 trillion it agreed to provide for the exercise.

    Day 68

    ASUU Strike Continues, and the board and its management are still requesting that FG must implements Offers, and arrive at its own demands.

    Day 67

    ASUU Strike continues and the boards has officially commented that the Federal Government, FG’s offer is far from expectation. This is just too much.

    On that same day, ASUU plans on concluding their final consultations.

    Day 66

    The Federal Government, FG, has commanded that the Academic staff Union of Universities, ASUU must end their strike on or before the weeks runs out.

    Day 64

    On the 7th of January, both FG and ASUU had a close meeting at 4:30pm, when ASUU delegation arrived at the Labour Ministry. And the outcome of the meeting has been outlined.

    Both parties has reached an agreement with ASUU to release N15.4bn for salary shortfall. Mr Ngige also pointed out that FG is also in the process of releasing another N20 billion for payment of earned allowances for university lecturers.

    Day 63

    On the 4th of January, 2019, the President of Nigeria, Head of Chief of Army Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had a meeting with NANs over strike.

    President Muhammadu Buhari officially appealed to NANS and labour unions to reduce their agitations to enable his administration to concentrate on repairing damaged infrastructure.

    Buhari promised the students that he would speak to ASUU to call off the current industrial action “so that they don’t encroach on your efforts to qualify (graduate) in time.” He said.

    Other Important Date and Headlines Includes:

    *. Day 59: ASUU To Hold Another Meeting with FG On Monday

    *. Day 59: NANS Begins Mobilization For Mass Action Against FG, ASUU and ASUP

    *. Day 58: ASUU Denies Payment Of 15.89 Billion Naira

    *. Day 53: NANS Issues 2 Weeks Ultimatum To FG and ASUU

    *. Day 49: We May Boycott Future Meetings With FG, ASUU Threatens

    *. Day 44: We Are Determined To Reach Agreement With ASUU Soon – FG

    *. Day 43: Strike Unresolved As ASUU Walks Out Of Meeting With FG

    *. Day 42: Strike Will Be Called Off Soon – FG

    *. Day 37: No Resolution Yet, Next Meeting Fixed for 17th Dec

    *. Day 33: FG and ASUU To Meet Again On Monday

    *. Day 32: Get Ready For A Prolonged Strike – ASUU President

    *. Day 31: Tuesday Meeting With FG Ends Unresolved

    *. Day 29: FG Backs Down On “No Work, No Pay”, Negotiation Continues Tomorrow

    *. Day 28: FG Implements “No Work, No Pay”

    *. Day 25: Students May Stay Long At Home – ASUU

    *. Day 23: FG-ASUU Meeting Again Ends In Deadlock

    *. Day 22: FG Holds Another Meeting With ASUU Towards Ending The Strike

    *. Day 19: ASUU Vows To Continue Strike Until FG Agrees To Its Demands

    *. Day 16: NANS Begins Protest, Tells Buhari To Meet ASUU Demands or Lose Election

    *. Day 12: Strike Continues As Meeting With FG Ends In Deadlock

    *. Day 11: FG Holds Meeting With ASUU Today

    *. Day 9: We Are Ready To Negotiate With FG – ASUU

    *. Day 8: FG Yet To Initiate Any Form Of Negotiation

    *. Day 3: Senate Makes Move To End ASUU Strike

    We will continue to update this page for more news concerning the ASUU Strike. You can share this article using the below share buttons.