Shelve your strike, NANS appeals to ASUU

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reconsider the strike directive issued to its members nationwide over the delay in the payment of June salaries to academic staff.

In a statement signed by its National Vice President for Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Akinbodunse Sileola Felicia, on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, NANS argued that any industrial action by ASUU at this time would destabilize the stable academic calendar that universities have enjoyed over the past two years.

The leadership of ASUU on Monday confirmed that a directive had been issued for all its branches nationwide to withdraw their services over the delay in the payment of June 2025 salaries, citing enforcement of the “No Pay, No Work” resolution.

ASUU branches in two federal universities—the University of Jos and the University of Abuja—have already commenced strike action in compliance with the directive.

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ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, confirmed the development to the media on Monday in Abuja, stating that the institutions were simply enforcing a resolution of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union, which mandates that in any month salaries are delayed beyond three days, members should withdraw their services until payments are made.

Akinbodunse, however, urged ASUU to shelve the strike, noting that students are always the ones who suffer whenever the academic union embarks on industrial action.

She argued that instead of withdrawing their services across universities in the country, ASUU’s leadership should engage the Federal Government to resolve the matter amicably.

The NANS Vice President recalled that since the inception of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, strikes by ASUU have reduced drastically, allowing students to enjoy uninterrupted academic sessions.

She expressed optimism that engaging the Federal Government in constructive dialogue on the issue of delayed salary payments would resolve the matter without the need for ASUU to down tools.

Akinbodunse added that students and their parents cannot afford any disruption in the academic calendar, especially in the face of the prevailing economic situation, and appealed to the leadership of the academic union to be considerate and call off the strike.

She also called on the Federal Government to address the issue of delayed salary payments to university lecturers and find a lasting solution, in order to preserve the academic stability that Nigerian universities have enjoyed so far under President Tinubu’s leadership.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE