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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate implementation of the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers or face a nationwide industrial action.
ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, gave the warning on Thursday during an address at Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State.
“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the federal government to begin the payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” he said.
Piwuna stressed that the union expects swift compliance, warning that failure to act within the stipulated timeframe could trigger actions capable of shutting down public universities nationwide.
The development was sequel to a recent agreement reached between ASUU and the Federal Government in January, aimed at resolving lingering disputes that have led to repeated strikes in Nigeria’s university system.
Central to the agreement is the introduction of a revised salary structure intended to enhance lecturers’ welfare and address longstanding concerns tied to the partially implemented 2009 ASUU-Federal Government agreement.
ASUU maintained that prompt implementation of the agreement is critical to sustaining industrial harmony in the country’s tertiary education sector.