Senate moves to end ASUU strike

The Senate has announced plans to mediate in the ongoing industrial dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government, expressing disappointment over the government’s failure to meet the union’s demands.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Aliyu Dandutse, made this known after a closed-door meeting with the leadership of ASUU.

According to Dandutse, the upper chamber will immediately commence a negotiation process involving the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and ASUU to find a lasting solution to the prolonged crisis in the university system.

He added that the Senate would also engage the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to resolve the lingering controversy surrounding the ownership and use of land belonging to the University of Abuja.

READ ALSO:No-work-no-pay policy can’t scare us, ASUU tells FG

“The Senate will interface with the FCT minister on the land matter, and other concerns raised will be carefully studied.“Appropriate steps will be taken to ensure an amicable and lasting resolution,” it stated.

The committee further urged ASUU to submit a detailed list of its demands in writing to enable lawmakers to consider the necessary legislative and policy actions that could address the challenges confronting the tertiary education sector.

During the meeting, the union once again pressed the Federal Government to increase funding for public universities, stressing that sustained investment in education is the only way to end strikes and boost the global ranking of Nigerian universities.

ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, who spoke on behalf of the union, said the current two-week warning strike stemmed from unresolved issues that have lingered since 2011.

“We engaged the Federal Government for eight years without tangible results.
“The Yayale Ahmed Committee report, submitted in December 2024, was ignored until this industrial action began,” Professor Piwuna said.

He maintained that the union’s major demands — including sustainable funding, improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy — remain unchanged.

ASUU also urged the Senate to compel the Federal Government to prioritize funding for the sector.

“Try us. Push government to fund universities adequately and you’ll see the end of strikes and the improvement of our universities in global rankings,” the ASUU president told the senators.

On financial delays, Piwuna revealed that though the National Assembly had approved ₦150 billion for universities, only ₦50 billion had been released so far.

He alleged that the amount remains tied up in the Ministry of Education, where the minister plans to distribute it among universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, despite separate budgetary provisions for those institutions.

Piwuna insisted that the ₦150 billion allocation should be spent exclusively on universities as originally approved.

ASUU also expressed alarm over alleged moves by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take over part of the 10,000 hectares of land belonging to the University of Abuja.

It said, “We are worried because the University of Abuja is located in the FCT. Anyone serious about higher education should be focused on developing it.

“If the minister wants land, he should look in the opposite direction.
“The university has over 10,000 hectares of land. Despite repeated calls, the FCT minister continues to show interest in acquiring part of it.
“We appeal to the Senate to intervene and prevail on the minister to leave the university land alone.”

ASUU had earlier declared a two-week warning strike effective October 13.

However, the Federal Government maintained that it had met the union’s demands and was open to further dialogue to prevent an escalation of the strike.

In response to the action, the government reintroduced the no-work, no-pay policy against striking ASUU members.