The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Benin Zone recently held an emergency meeting at the University of Benin, Benin City, where they expressed concerns about the failure to reach an agreement with the federal government. The Zone led by Prof. Monday Igbafen endorsed the National Body’s decision to issue an additional 14-day ultimatum to address issues affecting public universities.
The key issues in contention include the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, release of withheld salaries, funding for university revitalization, and the implementation of UTAS as a replacement for IPPIS. The Union condemned the government’s repeated failure to agree to renegotiation, which has been ongoing for over seven years.
ASUU urged the Nigerian public to hold the government accountable for any potential crises resulting from industrial action if the demands remain unaddressed after the ultimatum deadline. The Benin Zone comprises various universities like UNIBEN, AAU, and FUPRE, among others, all of which are affected by the current issues.