The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Akure Zone, has accused the Federal Government of misrepresenting the status of ongoing negotiations with the union, while describing recently approved universities as potential “crisis centres.”
Speaking to journalists on Thursday at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, ASUU Akure Zonal Coordinator Prof. Adeola Egbedokun criticised the government for approving new universities despite a seven-year moratorium on establishing federal tertiary institutions.
Key Points:
The Federal Government had announced a seven-year freeze on creating new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to curb under-utilisation, overstretched resources, and declining academic quality.
Despite the moratorium, nine new universities, including one in Epe, recently received approval.
ASUU claims the government continues to misrepresent negotiations and presents minor measures, such as delayed promotion arrears and third-party deductions, as major achievements.
The union has rejected the government’s proposed 35% salary increase for academics, calling it “tokenistic and insulting.”
Egbedokun, joined by ASUU chairmen from the seven branches under Akure Zone, questioned the logic behind approving new universities while existing institutions remain underfunded. He said, “It was agreed that for seven years, no licence will be granted to any university again, but we all saw what happened a few days ago when a new university was granted a licence. I think the government of Nigeria should live up to its words. Let your yes be yes and no be no. Is seven years the same thing as seven days?”
On the renegotiation process following the suspension of ASUU’s warning strike, Egbedokun emphasised that the National Executive Council rejected the Federal Government’s salary adjustment proposal, stating that it would not address the ongoing exodus of scholars or restore dignity to the academic profession.
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He added, “While modest progress may have been recorded in some non-monetary areas, the critical issues of salary and conditions of service remain unresolved and demand decisive and courageous intervention.”
The union also condemned what it called “undermining tactics of certain government officials, who continue to distort facts and misrepresent the status of negotiations.” Egbedokun highlighted that the piecemeal payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the delayed release of third-party deductions owed to members cannot be considered substantive achievements.
With less than a month remaining for the Federal Government to act on ASUU’s demands, Egbedokun urged authorities to “act with clarity, commitment, and integrity to reach a comprehensive and lasting resolution. Nothing short of a fair and respectable living wage for Nigerian academics is acceptable. The surest way to secure Nigeria’s future is to invest meaningfully in education.”
