The Traffic

ASUU Warns FG of Impending Action Over Stalled 2009 Agreement

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once again expressed deep frustration over the Federal Government’s persistent failure to implement the terms of the 2009 agreement, warning that consequences are imminent if urgent steps are not taken.

In a statement made during an interview in Jos on Sunday, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, lamented what he described as years of fruitless negotiations and unmet commitments by successive administrations.

“We are tired of words and promises,” Prof. Piwuna said, emphasizing that the union's patience is wearing thin.

He noted that the renegotiation process—meant to review critical issues such as academic autonomy, university funding, lecturers’ remuneration, earned academic allowances, and institutional governance—has been dragging on for over seven years without resolution.

“It has reached a breaking point. We either have an agreement or we don’t. Our members are tired of empty rhetoric,” he declared.

The ASUU president highlighted the decaying infrastructure, demoralised workforce, growing cultism, and deteriorating academic standards across Nigerian universities, attributing much of these challenges to the government’s failure to honour its funding obligations.

He also called for a holistic approach to salary restructuring, urging the government to include non-teaching staff in any wage review to ensure system-wide harmony and stability.

“Non-teaching staff should not be sidelined. Their inclusion will foster peace and cohesion within the university system,” Piwuna added.

Issuing a stern warning, the ASUU president made it clear that the union will not hesitate to take necessary action if the government continues to delay.

“In the coming days and weeks, the government must be prepared for the consequences of its inaction,” he concluded.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna