The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) after very intense debate, resolved to continue with the on-going industrial action.
The decision was taken after the National Executive Council meeting at the union’s headquarters at the University of Abuja on Monday.
A reliable source, who is currently attending the meeting, said that the union is currently divided about whether to sustain the demands the union has put before government or sustain the fight until all its prayers are met.
The source, who is a frontline member of the Union in one of the federal universities located in North Central Nigeria disclosed that ASUU Chairman is under pressure to call suspend the seven months’ industrial action.
The source noted that the union is refusing to yield because of its past experience with government which has reneged past promises.
“Apart from pending issues of allowance and the back-and-forth about whether government would pay backlog of arrears of salaries owed our members, there are commitments that are to the benefits of Nigerian universities that we are not getting.
“Ironically, these things are not to the benefits of any individual lecturer, but that of the universities,” he said.
Already, some state universities such as Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso and Delta State University have pulled out of the ongoing strike. Lagos State University, Osun State University and others did not participate in the strike as well.
Another close source said: “Aside two universities that voted against the continuation of the industrial action, many others have backed the declaration of indefinite strike as against the roll-over that the union commenced in February 14 2022.”
According to sources the Federal Government is mounting serious pressure on ASUU leadership using prominent Nigerians for the suspension of its six-month strike.
