The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) will, on Monday in Abuja, take a final decision on whether to proceed on strike over unresolved issues with the federal government or not.
ASUU met at an undisclosed venue over the weekend in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to take a decision on the lingering issues.
Sources said chairmen of the state chapters of the union met in the FCT with the national leadership of the union where they collate and reviewed the results of the referendum conducted recently.
The state chapters, who were unanimous in their decision, were reported to have met to take a decision on the duration the strike would last.
It would be recalled that the chairmen of the state chapter had earlier converged in July at the Nasarawa State University and deliberated extensively on the issues that had been facing the union since 2009 agreement and a 2013 MoU over other related issues where a decision on the referendum was reached on the next line of action.
A decision to embark on the strike today will lead to disruption of academic activities in 40 federal and 44state universities in the country.
ASUU’s unresolved issues with the Federal Government include: Breach of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 2009 FG/ASUU Agreement on financing of state universities; breach of the conditions of service; refusing to honour the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and re -negotiation of the agreement.
Union officials said the Federal Government owes universities over N880 billion in intervention fund as a fallout of the NEEDS Assessment report.
Also on the list of the union’s demands are; foot-dragging over ‘funds for the revitilisation of public universities, non-release of NUPEMCO operational licence, non-payment of earned academic allowances, payment of fractions/non-payment of salaries, retired professors and their salaries and university staff schools’.
An official that ASUU had explored all channels to make the Federal Government see reasons, saying “It seems the Federal Government is more concerned with buying exotic vehicles for the National Assembly while public education and lecturers continue to suffer owing to dilapidated infrastructure.”
