The 14-day ultimatum issued by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to the Federal Government to sign and implement its long-awaited agreement expires on Sunday, October 12.
ASUU warned that the government’s continued delay in addressing issues affecting university lecturers and learning conditions could trigger fresh industrial action across Nigerian universities.
The Calabar Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Ikechukwu Igwenyi, told reporters in Abakaliki that the union’s key demands include the payment of three and a half months’ withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions owed to lecturers since the 2022 strike.
Igwenyi criticised the government for establishing new universities without adequately funding existing ones, describing the “No Work, No Pay” policy as a violation of labour conventions and a threat to industrial peace.
He said the government must demonstrate genuine commitment to revitalising public universities, warning that failure to act before the ultimatum’s expiration would attract consequences.
According to him, education remains the foundation of national progress, and continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare and infrastructure endangers the country’s future.
