*ASUU Warns of Imminent Strike, Accuses Tinubu Administration of Broken Promises and Corruption* The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a strong warning that it may soon embark on a nationwide strike, citing the Federal Government’s persistent failure to address longstanding issues in Nigeria’s university system. The union, now led by its new president, Professor Chris Piwuna, has declared that its patience has been exhausted after years of unfulfilled promises, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and what it describes as endemic corruption within the administration of President Bola Tinubu. ASUU’s grievances center on the government’s failure to implement critical aspects of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, a recurring source of tension over the past decade. The union lists nine unresolved issues, including: 1. The renegotiation process, which began in 2017, remains incomplete. 2. ASUU accuses the government of delaying tactics and failing to sign off on recommendations from various committees, including the Yayale Ahmed Committee and the Nimi Briggs-led Renegotiation Committee. 3. The government promised to release ₦150 billion for university revitalization to address poor infrastructure, inadequate facilities, and outdated curricula. However, ASUU says this pledge remains unfulfilled. 4. ASUU members are still owed backlog payments, including ₦50 billion in earned academic allowances and salaries withheld during the 2022 strike. 5. Despite a directive to remove universities from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), lecturers continue to be paid through the platform, which ASUU argues undermines university autonomy and causes payment delays. 6. The dissolution of university governing councils in June 2024 led to a vacuum in university administration, affecting key appointments and promotions. 7. Although new appointments have recently been made, ASUU maintains that autonomy is still being eroded by political interference. 8. The unchecked establishment of new universities without adequate funding or planning is another major concern, as it strains already limited resources. 9. ASUU alleges that funds meant for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) are being diverted to other initiatives, such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), further undermining university funding. The union highlights ongoing issues of victimization, salary denial, and job insecurity, particularly in state universities like Kogi State University and Lagos State University. Professor Piwuna, at his first press conference as ASUU president, delivered a scathing critique of the Tinubu government, accusing it of benefiting from the insecurity plaguing parts of the country and failing to demonstrate genuine commitment to resolving the union’s demands. He described the administration as marked by “institutional weaknesses, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and endemic corruption,” which, in his view, have undermined governance at all levels. “We have exhausted our patience in waiting for this renegotiated agreement... The government has made promises, but we are still waiting for fulfillment. Nothing has significantly changed in the last two years,” Piwuna stated. ASUU has made it clear that it will not remain passive while its members’ rights are trampled. The union has issued various ultimatums, including a recent two-week deadline for the reinstatement of university governing councils and a 21-day notice to address outstanding issues. If the government fails to act, ASUU says it will have no choice but to call for industrial action, potentially shutting down public universities nationwide. While the Federal Government claims to have addressed a significant portion of ASUU’s demands, the union insists that no major issue has been permanently resolved. Recent moves, such as the appointment of new governing council members, are seen as steps in the right direction but not sufficient to avert a strike unless all outstanding issues are comprehensively addressed. ASUU has reiterated its openness to dialogue but warns that only concrete action—not promises—will prevent another disruptive strike in Nigeria’s public universities. ASUU’s threat of a nationwide strike stems from deep frustration over the government’s failure to honor agreements, release promised funds, address salary and allowance backlogs, respect university autonomy, and tackle corruption in the education sector. The union’s patience, it says, has run out, and unless urgent steps are taken, another round of industrial action appears imminent.