ASUU strike: Recognition of new factions of Union, Students tomorrow suffers

On February 14, 2022, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a 4-week making it sixteen (16) times the Union would be going on industrial action since its establishment in 1999 to press home over the continual failure of the government to meet its demands.

Amidst the Union, ASUU demands and agitations, the FG had channelled billions of naira railway linking the northern part of the country with Niger; expected to facilitate trade and built commerce between the two countries, according to the minister of transport, Rotimi Amechi.

Nevertheless, all this money including recovered Abacha loot could be used to end the strike and paused the rising number of dead students, involvement in cyber fraud, and prostitution among others.

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The hope was a little bright like a morning star, especially those who took the advantage to learn skills when FG announced an increment in salary, meeting some agreements; but turned darker with non-willingness to sign and court cases currently awaiting verdict at the appeal court, after the industrial court ruled in favour of FG.

However, the issue got worse, as the government on October 4th, 2022 presented certificates of registration to two more academic unions of universities(Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics, CONUA).

The development was the latest ploy by the government to bring the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to its knees over the almost eight-month-old industrial action.

With no members, where would the new factions expected to take over[by the government] start from? Whereas, the new factions which broke out from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) demanding the usefulness of universities IGR, also backed by the federal government.