ASUU announces lecture-free day in Abakaliki on Wednesday, threatens indefinite strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ebonyi State on Tuesday threatened to embark on indefinite strike action over unpaid salaries by the government.

The leadership of the union declared Wednesday, 9th February 2022 as a work-free day to mobilize members to comply with the proposed strike action.

The chairman of the union, Ogugua Egwu made this known in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Abakaliki, through the Secretary of the union, Dr. Joseph N. Chukwu.

Egwu said members of the academic staff union would not take part in meetings or any other university activity on Wednesday.

He said the mobilization of the congress was to properly enlighten the academic staff on what the strike action entailed and what necessitated it.

Egwu noted further that “ASUU was aggrieved that for over 12 years, the federal government has failed to review the conditions of service of academic staff even after various MoUs and MoAs were willingly signed by the FG and ASUU. Making them among the least paid lecturers in the world.

“Members are also not happy that the salary being paid through monstrous IPPIS had further increased their sufferings because of the extreme confusion and inconsistencies associated with the payment platform.

He said if the grievances of ASUU are not addressed, the proposed strike action would be total and comprehensive and indefinite.

Comrade Egwu, also disclosed that an implementation task committee had been set up by the union to monitor compliance on the lecture-free day.