Strike: ASUU disputes FG’s claim of N50bn payment

The Academic Staff Union of Universities says it has not received the N50bn revitalisation fund the Federal Government recently claimed to have released, insisting that none of the union’s demands has been met ahead of its National Executive Council meeting slated for November 8 and 9, 2025.

ASUU stated this in a Wednesday statement signed by Prof. Jurbe Molwus, who recalled that the union suspended its two-week warning strike in good faith after assurances from senior government officials that concrete proposals would be brought to the table.

“As ASUU mobilises for its National Executive Council meeting scheduled to hold on the 8th and 9th November, 2025, we expect that some of the outstanding entitlements such as 3.5 months withheld salaries, 25/35% wage award arrears, promotion arrears, unpaid salaries of some members etc. would have been paid to university workers by now. But all we get is press releases by the Honourable Minister of Education. What we need is credit alerts and not misleading releases.”

He noted that the Federal Government’s recent announcement of a N50bn disbursement had not translated into payment to universities.

“It is sad to further note that even the N50bn revitalisation fund the FGN claimed to have released some weeks ago is yet to reach the universities. We do not know why the Minister of Education is still keeping it.”

Molwus also faulted comments by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, claiming that N2.3bn had been released to settle salary and promotion arrears.

“Again, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Maruf Alausa, was quoted to have said in a recent release that ‘The FG has released N2.3bn to clear salary and promotion arrears in all federal universities’.

“But, as we speak right now, the university workers have yet to receive any such alerts. So, the minister’s claim of clearing backlog may be in the fiction of his imagination. He also claimed to have strengthened academic staff welfare, and we ask how?”

Molwus argued that the funds cited by the minister were insufficient.

“However, the big question for the minister to answer is: can a meagre N2.3bn settle the backlog of promotion and salary arrears of all federal university workers? Absolutely, no. The truth is that the amount of N2.3bn is like a drop in the ocean because it can hardly take care of three big universities in Nigeria. The amount is grossly inadequate and almost embarrassing if not insulting.

“The honourable minister needs to come out clearly and state what fraction of the outstanding entitlements of the university workers the N2.3bn is meant to settle and for whom it is meant. We sincerely do not understand the magic of the minister.”

The union further urged Nigerians to hold the Federal Government accountable, warning that it may resume its strike if its demands are not met by November 21, 2025, the end of its four-week ultimatum.

“We hereby call on the press, students, parents and the general public to call on the FGN to do the needful so that ASUU is not blamed if and when it resumes its suspended strike in the next two weeks. For clarity, the four weeks given to the FGN will lapse on the 21st of November, 2025.

“We hereby state for the benefit of the doubts that the strike was only suspended as a mark of respect and demonstration of goodwill in collective bargaining. So, we expect the FGN to reciprocate by satisfactorily addressing our demands without further delays. Our members are losing patience as they wait to receive alerts of their legitimate entitlements.”

ASUU had declared a two-week “total and comprehensive” strike on October 12 following a 14-day ultimatum issued to government on September 28.

The union cited the Federal Government’s failure to address staff welfare, infrastructure funding, implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, and salary arrears.

The Federal Government, however, criticised ASUU for declaring the industrial action and directed universities to enforce a “No Work, No Pay” policy.

It also ordered vice-chancellors to conduct roll calls and physical headcounts of academic staff and submit reports showing those on duty.

Weeks later, the Senate intervened, expressing concern over Abuja’s failure to meet ASUU’s demands.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Aliyu Dandutse, said the Senate would initiate a new negotiation process involving ASUU, the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to find a lasting solution.

On the contentious University of Abuja land matter, he added that the Senate would engage the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to seek an amicable resolution.