The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU has officially suspended its eight months strike in Nigeria.

It directed all its members to resume all services with effect from today,14th October, 2022″.

The suspension was contained in a statement signed by the President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osokode on Friday in Abuja.

He gave conditions while announcing the suspension.

He said: “The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held an emergency meeting at the Comrade Festus lyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday, 13th October, 2022. The meeting reviewed developments since the Union declared an indefinite strike action on 29th August, 2022.

“During the intervening period, the Minister of Labour and Employment, through a referral, approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) for the interpretation of “the provision of sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 18 (1) of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, whether the on-going prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities which started since 14th February, 2022 is legal even after statutory apprehension by the Minister of Labour and Employment?” In addition, he asked for an interlocutory order against the continuation of the strike.

“The National Industrial Court in its wisdom gave an order compelling ASUU to resume work pending the determination of the substantive suit. Given the nature of the order, and in the opinion of our counsel, there was the need to appeal the interlocutory injunction granted against our Union at the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal acknowledged the validity of the grounds of the union’s appeal but still upheld the order of the lower court and ordered our Union to comply with the ruling of the lower court as condition precedent for the appeal to be heard.

“NEC noted the series of meetings with the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as intervention efforts of other well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside government and the progress made so far.

“NEC deliberated on the recommendations of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led Committee within the framework of the FGN/ASUU’s Memorandum of Action(MoA) of 2020 on the contending issues that led to the strike action. For the avoidance of doubt, the issues include: Funding for Revitalisation of public universities Earned Academic Allowances, proliferation of public Universities

“University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a broad spectrum software to stop illegality and provide for an alternative
Payment platform in the university system. Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement.While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute are yet to be satisfactorily addressed.

“However, as a law-abiding Union and in deference to appeals by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and in recognition of the efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and other well meaning Nigerians, ASUU NEC resolved to suspend the strike action embarked upon on 14th February 2022.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that its opposition to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information Systems (IPPIS) as a vehicle for corruption has been vindicated by the arrest and detention of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, over alleged N80 billion fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The IPPIS was allegedly being used to milk the already oppressed Nigerian workers dry and expose them to more poverty in the midst of plenty,the union said in a statement signed
by the chairman of ASUU at the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Socrates Ebo.

The arrest and detention of the Accountant-General of the Federation has exposed to Nigerians what ASUU has always known. IPPIS has always been a conduit pipe that a heartless government mafia has been using to milk the country dry and oppress the long-suffering, hapless, poverty-damaged Nigerian workers,the statement said .

It added:”It is sad that Nigerian workers have continued to groan under government oppression in a country that is endowed with plentifulness and abundance of every gift of nature one can think of.It is sad enough that Nigerian lecturers are paid next to nothing. On top of that, the IPPIS mafia in government still steal from that meagre salary in the name of all manner of fraudulent and arbitrary deductions!

“Why is it difficult for Nigeria to produce a single world class university while lesser endowed countries like Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa boast of far better equipped universities?We thank the government for finally remembering to pay some lecturers their minimum wage arrears after three good years, but what crime have lecturers committed that the government has maliciously withheld their salary for three good months under the present unpleasant economy?

“So, the government shamelessly want to punish lecturers for demanding that government should make our universities better?So, it is now an offence to urge government to develop and improve education? Why is government bent on starving lecturers to submission? Why is government bent on punishing us with starvation? Is the country not hard enough already?”