Lecturers under aegis Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Ibadan (UI) and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education Oyo on Tuesday embarked on peaceful awareness protest and rally against the delay in signing renegotiated agreements with the Union by the President Bola Tinubu’s led Federal Government.
The Union says only the signing of the agreement on the 28 of august when the FG team meets with the union could intercept another industrial strike in Nigeria’s public Universities.
While Dr Adefemi Afolabi, Chairman of the UI Chapter of ASUU was joined by the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress in Oyo State, Mr Kayode Martins, the protest of the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education was led by its chairman Dr Michael Bamidele Ojo.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the ASUU members went around the campuses, sensitizing the university community to the probability of another industrial action if the government does not finalise the signing of agreements already reached with the Union when it meets with its team on August 28, 2025.
As they marched around campus, the ASUU members sang songs which accused the president of forgetting his promises while campaigning and demanded that the welfare of university lecturers in public universities should attract the attention and urgent intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
While addressing pressmen in front of the gate of the Institution, Dr Adefemi Afolabi said that the federal government has pushed lecturers to the wall.
According to him, “there has been inadequate progress in the negotiation between the federal government of Nigeria and the Union in the past 16 years” and this has contributed to low morale and brain drain while the best brains have decided to stay from the profession due to the poor remuneration and conditions of service.
He urged “Nigerians – including opinion leaders, religious and traditional authorities, civil society organisations, parents of our valued students and all stakeholders to advocate for the federal to sign the re-negotiated agreement by August 28, 2025. Only through this action can the Tinubu administration prevent an impending nationwide industrial crisis across university campuses and fulfil the promises made during the election campaign”.
In his own part, the Chairman Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Emmanuel Alayande University of Education Oyo chapter, Dr Michael Ojo stated that “we can no longer allow the welfare of our members to be subjected to the delay tactics of this Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government”
Dr Ojo stated that “ASUU therefore invites all genuine patriots to prevail on Nigeria’s governments including the university administrations to address all lingering labour issues in the Nigerian University system to avert another looming industrial crisis if the government at all levels fails to address these concerns, ASUU may be forced to take industrial action which could disrupt the academic calendar and have reaching consequences for the university community. ASUU wish to inform the general public that we can no longer allow the welfare of our members to be subjected to the delay tactics of this Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government. Together we can work towards a brighter future for our university and the academic community”
Speaking at the rally, Oyo State NLC chairman Kayode Martins, urged president Tinubu to preserve those who lay the golden eggs who are the lecturers in Nigerian universities by signing the agreements and commence implementation without delay.
According to him, it is sad to hear that politicians are agitating for more pay when professors are poorly remunerated.
“Those who lay the golden eggs must be preserved, they are the molders and builders of our destinies. Education should be given appropriate attention because that is what drives development in any nation. We are talking of 2009 agreements unimplemented and today, political office holders are agitating for more salaries when professors are less paid. This should not be. We are beckoning on our leaders to save us if indeed they have a mind for the masses.