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President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Chris Piwuna, has warned that the union may resort to an indefinite strike if the government continues to ignore its longstanding demands and warning signals.
Speaking in an interview on News Central TV show, Jasiri, on Tuesday, Piwuna accused the government of failing to engage meaningfully with the union since June, despite repeated attempts by ASUU to initiate dialogue. He criticised what he described as the government’s “dismissive attitude” toward the union’s strike notice.
“You reached out to the government, and the government did not almost seems like they didn’t even acknowledge your notice of a strike,” Piwuna said.
Responding to questions on whether the union is prepared for a prolonged standoff beyond the current two-week warning strike, Piwuna said ASUU members have developed a high level of endurance over the years of unmet promises.
He warned that the government should act quickly to prevent the union from reaching that stage. “If the government is sensible, they will try to avert that stage from happening,” he added.
However, the ASUU president disclosed that there may be a breakthrough in the ongoing standoff as the union has received a formal invitation from the government for fresh negotiations.
“The good news is that this morning, we have received an invitation by Alhaji Ayali Amit, the chairman of the government renegotiating team, to meet with us on Thursday this week,” Piwuna said. “By the special grace of God, we’re going to converse to discuss with them. And we hope that this time around, the table we sit on will enable us to tell Nigerians something positive.”
ASUU had declared a two-week warning strike last week to protest the government’s failure to implement previous agreements, including improved funding for universities and better welfare for academic staff. The outcome of Thursday’s meeting could determine whether the union proceeds with a full-scale industrial action.
