ASUU Strike: ASUU ESUT Branch to Join Nationwide Two-Weeks Strike

By Chiekezie Emmanuel Ezesinachi

The ESUT Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) on a meeting held at the ESUT College of Medicine on Monday declared their full participation in solidarity with the National level for a two-week compulsory strike after a 14-day ultimatum.

According to Academic Staff Union of University ESUT branch (ASUU) Chairperson Dr. Comr. Andrew Apeh, he expressed disappointment on how the Federal Government has failed them despite exercising patience. He made it known about the negotiation held with the Federal Government, and the 32nd National Education Commission (NEC) conference convened at Julius Onah Auditorium on September, and there was a referendum on the 11th September 2025 as directed.

A whole lot of mediators came up and mediated between us and pleaded with the Federal Government to harken to our calls and then look into our agreements signed out since they are very necessary and it was an agreement reached with the committee set up by themselves. So in that NEC for NEC, another issue came up that we should exercise another patience. So the message after all the wait, after our patience, is that we should give them time. That is when we learnt that it could be a handwriting on the wall that these people are taking us for granted.

This agreement we are talking about has started since 2009, and we had a re-negotiation, negotiation upon negotiations till what we are in today. Every ASUU branch gave their feedback to the National Body after the meeting, which led to an emergency NEC meeting. At the emergency meeting, the report gathered showed that 55 percent of branches voted for a 14-day ultimatum and two weeks warning strike, and 41 percent voted for indefinite strike, and 4 percent voted for continued dialogue. With this, the NEC agreed on a 14-day ultimatum and two weeks warning strike if the Federal Government failed on their own part of the agreement.

He also made it clear that after the collation of reports, they were to return and make it known to ASUU members that they expect a positive response from the Federal Government. But it seems the Federal Government is not ready to grant the request of ASUU, which is the major reason for summoning the members today to notify them that the government is yet to give consent to the increment of their salaries.

As a branch of ASUU is one body, we have only one charter. ESUT is a branch of ASUU National the same way every other school is a branch. Whatsoever affects them affects us, and remember also that ESUT or Enugu State does not have a salary skill of its own; it is the salary skill approved by the national that is guiding us, that is what controls our salary. And also know that this issue of salary increment is what concerns all of us.

ASUU National is like that of other schools; we are giving our full support in the two weeks warning strike. So, the union urges everyone to abide by this two weeks warning strike he emphasized.

We have also set a monitoring unit to supervise all activities for the two weeks to make sure that no academic activities hold from tomorrow, the 14th of October, to uphold and show commitment to the National order, he said.