The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has condemned the Federal Government over what it described as the partial implementation of the 2025 agreement reached with university lecturers across the country.
The union also rejected plans by the Federal Government to scrap academic courses considered irrelevant, insisting that such a move would undermine university autonomy and academic freedom.
Speaking during a press briefing in Benin City on Thursday, the Chairman of ASUU Benin Zone, Prof. Monday Igbafen, expressed dissatisfaction with the slow implementation of the agreement by some state governments.
He specifically accused the Edo, Ondo and Delta State governments of failing to comply with the agreement five months after the Federal Government directed its implementation.
According to him, the failure of the affected states to implement the agreement could trigger industrial unrest in their universities.
“The Benin Zone of ASUU condemns the partial and non-implementation of the salary component of the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement. This is capable of creating another round of industrial crisis in Nigerian universities,” he said.
He urged the affected state governments to immediately comply with the agreement or risk industrial action by lecturers in their institutions.
Prof. Igbafen also criticised the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, over the proposed National Research and Innovation Development Fund, saying ASUU was not consulted before the announcement was made.
According to him, the proposed N500 billion intervention fund falls short of the agreement reached with the union, which provides for at least one per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to be devoted to research, innovation and development.
The ASUU chairman further accused the Niger State Government of attempting to take over land belonging to the Bosso Campus of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
He described the move as unacceptable and a threat to the development of research and education in the country.
The union also raised concerns over alleged cases of irregular appointments, financial mismanagement and disregard for due process by some government-appointed vice chancellors in public universities.
Prof. Igbafen warned that lecturers might be forced to resume industrial action if urgent steps were not taken to address the issues raised by the union.
He also called on federal university administrators to stop what he described as the selective payment of the Consolidated Academic Tool Allowance (CATA) to lecturers.
