The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to respect university autonomy and stop implementing policies that undermine academic freedom.
In a statement issued in Calabar, the ASUU Zonal Coordinator for the Calabar Zone, Comrade Ikechukwu Igwenyi, alleged that various government-imposed policies have disrupted smooth academic operations.
He demanded the immediate release of the union’s three and a half months’ outstanding salaries, payment of all withheld salaries, refund of all third-party deductions, and settlement of all promotion arrears.
ASUU also called for the payment of the outstanding 25–35% wage award with consequential adjustments, increased budgetary allocation to education, and sustainable funding for Nigerian universities.
“We demand the completion of renegotiation and full implementation of agreements with timelines, as well as fair remuneration and improved work conditions for academic staff to curb the exodus of talent,” the statement read.
Igwenyi, alongside nine other union leaders, noted that the Federal Government had been given a four-week ultimatum to address the issues. They warned that ASUU would not hesitate to embark on industrial action if the demands remained unmet.
“We shall remain unbowed in our resolve on embarking on industrial action, unbroken, and unwavering in this just struggle if our demands are not met,” they added.
The union maintained that education is a right for all citizens and stressed that it is the government’s responsibility to demonstrate the political will to adequately fund the sector.
