ASUU Set to embark on indefinite Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities , (Abuja zone ), has rejected what it described as “ ugly and worrisome unilateral drastic cut ” by the Federal Government in the personnel cost allocations to federal universities throughout the country.
The organisation warned of dire consequences , including “a breakdown of industrial harmony ” , should the Federal Government continue to cut salaries of workers .
“ This singular action of the Federal Government is a recipe for the death of public university education in Nigeria . This implies that the masses shall no longer have access to university education and , therefore , Nigeria shall continue to be under -developed , ” ASUU warned .
According to the union , the shortfall in salaries payment to its members in all federal universities , which began in December 2015 , had become a pattern employed by government to oppress labour movement in the country.
The Abuja Zone comprises University of Abuja; Federal University of Technology , Minna ; Nasarawa State University , Keffi ; Niger- State owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University , Lapai and Federal University , Lafia.
The Coordinator of the zone , Dr . Theophilus Lagi , expressed these observations in a communique issued after its meeting in the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University in Lapai , Niger State .
He said , “ In January 2017 , the personnel costs released by the government to UNIABUJA , for instance , was a little above N359 million . This amount could only pay about 91 per cent of the salaries of staff in the university for that month . However , in February 2017 , the same government released a little above N302 m to the same UNIABUJA for the same purpose , when there was no reduction in the workforce at the university.
“ This dipped the pay - cut further down . While the staff of UNIABUJA received 81 per cent of their total salaries in February, their counterparts in the Federal University , Lafia, received only 45 per cent of their total salaries for the same month of February 2017 . At FUT Minna , the story is also not different, as the University experienced over N21 million cut in salaries each for the months of January and February , 2017 . ”
Meanwhile , the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Port Harcourt Zone , has threatened to suspend academic activities at the universities in the zone if issues of shortfall and unpaid salaries were not addressed urgently .
The universities in the zone are the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State ; Niger Delta University , Amassoma , Bayelsa State ; Federal University , Otuoke, Bayelsa State; the Rivers State University of Science and Technology ; and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State .