The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
has accused the Federal Government of attempting to divide the academic
community through selective implementation of the ‘No Work, No Pay’
policy.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, made
the allegation on Monday while reacting to a government directive enforcing
sanctions on lecturers participating in the ongoing two-week warning strike.
“We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten
us,” Piwuna said. “He is threatening us, writing to NAMDA and CONUA, telling
them they can get their salaries. He wants to divide us, but we are united in
this matter.”
Unity Among Academic Bodies
Piwuna maintained that all academic unions — including
the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), the Congress
of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), the Senior Staff Association
of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the Non-Academic Staff Union
(NASU) — stand united with ASUU.
“CONUA is with us, NAMDA is with us, SSANU is with us,
NASU is with us. The polytechnics and colleges of education are also with us,”
he stated.
The ASUU leader urged the Minister of Education,
Dr. Tunji Alausa, to focus on resolving the ongoing industrial dispute
rather than issuing threats.
“He had better sit down and solve this problem or he
will fail in trying to divide us,” Piwuna warned.
ASUU Open to Dialogue
Despite the tension, Piwuna revealed that the union
remained open to negotiation.
“Today, I received a call from the Minister of State
for Labour. She said she has been directed to intervene and get this matter
resolved. ASUU is willing. We are ready and available to discuss this matter
once and for all,” he said.
Federal Government’s Directive
Earlier, the Federal Government ordered all
public universities to enforce the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against
lecturers participating in the strike.
The directive was contained in a circular dated October
13, signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
“In line with extant provisions of labour laws, the
Federal Government reiterates its position on the enforcement of the ‘No Work,
No Pay’ policy in respect of any employee who fails to discharge official
duties during the period of strike action,” the circular read.
The Minister also directed vice-chancellors to
conduct roll-calls and physical headcounts of all academic staff and submit
compliance reports to the National Universities Commission (NUC) within
seven days.
He noted that academic workers under CONUA and NAMDA,
who are not participating in the strike, are exempted from the sanctions.
Alausa further maintained that the Federal Government
had addressed all outstanding issues raised by ASUU and described the strike as
unnecessary.
Background
ASUU had on Sunday declared a two-week total
and comprehensive warning strike across all public universities, citing the
government’s failure to honour long-standing agreements.
Professor Piwuna said the decision followed the
expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28, 2025,
and the absence of any meaningful progress in negotiations.
“Our 2009 agreement, still under renegotiation after
eight years, remains inconclusive. The appeal to shelve the strike came too
late,” he stated.
The union’s National Executive Council (NEC)
approved the industrial action during its last meeting, describing it as a
necessary response to years of neglect, unfulfilled promises, and slow
government engagement.
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