Speaking at the 2024 ASUU Heroes Day celebration in Abuja, ASUU National President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke sharply criticised the prolonged delay in renegotiating the ASUU-Federal Government 2009 Agreement. Despite numerous Memoranda of Understanding MoUs and Memoranda of Action MoAs, Osodeke highlighted that the agreement remains unresolved after 12 years, a scenario he labelled as detrimental to Nigeria’s academic future.
The ASUU President also condemned the government’s enforcement of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System IPPIS on public universities, noting that the Federal Executive Council had previously promised to exempt tertiary institutions from this system. Osodeke identified further grievances, such as the non-payment of ASUU members’ three-and-a-half months’ salaries, withheld wages, delayed promotions, and unfulfilled Earned Academic Allowances.
“Comrades, like in the past, this year’s celebration of our heroes takes place as we continue the struggle to rescue Nigeria’s public universities from the suffocating clutches of the World Bank and IMF, whose determination to destroy and bury our public university system has not abated,” Osodeke asserted.
The ASUU President also extended solidarity to union members facing persecution in various state universities, including Kogi State University, Lagos State University, Ebonyi State University, and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.
To bolster academic growth, ASUU announced the establishment of PhD grants of ₦500,000 each for selected academics across public universities. These grants will be awarded based on a competitive assessment of proposals by field experts.
The event honoured several ASUU heroes, past and present, including notable figures such as Prof. T. Uzodinma Nwala, Prof. Bright Ekuerhare, Prof. Oye Oyediran, and Mallam Bashir Kurfi. Prof. Osodeke commended ASUU members for their resilience and commitment, reaffirming the union’s dedication to advancing public university education and supporting Nigeria’s academic community.
