The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, to prioritize resolving the ongoing dispute with university lecturers rather than issuing threats.
This comes just 24 hours after ASUU declared a two-week warning strike to press home its long-standing demands.
ASUU Rejects Government’s Threats
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, ASUU President Chris Piwuna dismissed the Federal Government’s “No Work, No Pay” directive, stressing that the union “will not be intimidated or divided.”
“We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten us,” Piwuna said. “The Minister is trying to divide us by writing to NAMDA and CONUA to collect their salaries, but we remain united in this struggle.”
Academic Unions Unite Behind ASUU
According to Piwuna, all tertiary education unions — including the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), SSANU, and NASU — are standing in solidarity with ASUU.
He added that even unions from polytechnics and colleges of education have expressed support for the ongoing strike, signaling a nationwide academic shutdown if issues remain unresolved.
ASUU Open to Dialogue
Despite the tension, Piwuna revealed that the union remains open to negotiations.
“We’re not running from dialogue. The Minister should sit and resolve this once and for all. The Minister of State for Labour has reached out to us, and we’re ready to engage,” he added.
The strike, which entered its second day on Tuesday, has already disrupted academic activities across public universities nationwide.
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