FG/ASUU Faceoff: Inflammatory Comment by FG Worsening Situation –ASUU

What Sparked the Current Dispute

ASUU’s longstanding disagreement with the Federal Government centers on unresolved issues including:

The 2009 FG-ASUU Agreement which remains largely unimplemented.
Outstanding salary arrears, promotion arrears, and withheld entitlements.
Funding shortfalls, poor conditions of service, and the revitalisation of public universities.

The union has repeatedly expressed frustration that successive deadlines to settle these matters have passed without meaningful progress.

ASUU’s Grievance Over Government Comments

ASUU leaders have complained that some statements and public remarks by FG officials have made the industrial dispute worse rather than helping to ease tensions. While there isn’t one single quoted “inflammatory comment” in major headlines, the union has publicly voiced that:

Government narratives portraying the situation as solely ASUU’s fault are misleading and damage trust.
Threats to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against striking lecturers are seen as intimidatory and unhelpful, according to labour allies like the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Comments suggesting the government has solved or sufficiently addressed ASUU demands — when the union disputes this — have deepened mistrust.

ASUU and allied unions insist these kinds of remarks erode confidence in the negotiation process and make lecturers less willing to suspend industrial action, since they feel government commitments are not credible.

‘No Work, No Pay’ – A Flashpoint

One of the most cited points of contention is the Federal Government’s threat to invoke the “no work, no pay” policy against lecturers participating in strike actions. This legal stance has been publicly emphasised by FG officials as a deterrent to industrial action. Critics — including ASUU and the NLC — argue that it misframes the conflict and unfairly penalises workers rather than addressing structural demands.

ASUU leadership has also dismissed such threats as intimidation, urging the government to focus on resolving issues substantively rather than making punitive pronouncements.

Union’s Call for Genuine Engagement

ASUU has repeatedly declared that it prefers dialogue over strike action and that strikes occur only when negotiations fail to produce meaningful results. It maintains that:

Strikes are not its preferred tool for resolution, but a last resort after other options fail.
The government’s public comments and perceived slow pace of negotiation have strained relations and fuelled further discontent within the union.
Continued public messaging that downplays core unresolved issues — like withheld salaries — misleads stakeholders and the public about the realities on the ground.

ASUU has also warned that unless trust is restored and substantive offers made, the situation could escalate into more extended industrial actions.

Why This Matters

This dispute reflects broader challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, including:

Chronic underfunding and infrastructure decay.
Long-standing negotiations stretching back years.
Public confidence and student welfare at stake, as uninterrupted academic calendars are vital for educational outcomes.

ASUU’s claim that some government comments are inflammatory highlights the importance of trust, clear communication, and real action, not just rhetoric, in resolving labour disputes that affect the future of Nigeria’s higher education system.