ASUU Benin Zone Warns of Possible Strike Resumption as One-Month Ultimatum Nears End
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Benin Zone, on Tuesday placed its members on alert over a possible resumption of the suspended strike as the union’s one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government draws to a close.
Speaking to journalists on behalf of the zone, Prof. Monday Igbafen said the warning became necessary due to the Federal Government’s “back-and-forth” approach to negotiations.
According to him, it is an act of “sheer wickedness” for university lecturers to remain on the same salary structure for over 15 years, despite the harsh economic realities.
“We are saying enough is enough to the back-and-forth approach of the Federal Government. This half-hearted engagement must stop. Negotiations with ASUU without concrete results must stop,” he said.
Prof. Igbafen noted that Nigerian lecturers have been stuck with the 2009 salary regime—when the naira exchanged for N120 to the dollar—while workers in other sectors have had their wages reviewed upward multiple times.
“It is sad that what a professor earns today is less than $400 per month. This is a scandalous under-valuation of Nigerian scholars. To keep lecturers on the same salary for more than 15 years is wicked, inhuman, and a recipe for brain drain and industrial disharmony,” he added.
The ASUU leader further accused the Minister of Education and other government officials of lacking sincerity in handling the negotiation process. He alleged that their actions and public statements were undermining efforts to achieve a quick and genuine resolution.
“They are misrepresenting issues and distorting agreements, especially regarding part-payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the release of third-party deductions owed to our members. These are being portrayed as core achievements, while they are merely confidence-building gestures—not the substantial issues under negotiation,” Igbafen said.
He warned that the Federal Government’s “half-truths” were setting the stage for another nationwide crisis.
Addressing claims of inadequate funds, Prof. Igbafen maintained that the government’s challenge is not economic but political will. He cited Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) data showing significant increases in both federal and state revenues.
“In 2022, states received N3.92 trillion from FAAC. By 2024, this figure had risen to N5.81 trillion—over 62 percent increase. The federal government equally saw its revenue grow from N3.42 trillion in 2022 to N4.65 trillion in 2024, over 70 percent increase,” he stated.
“With this reality, the excuses of global economic downturn or paucity of funds are no longer tenable. What is lacking is political will.”
He urged the government to address all outstanding issues within the remaining timeframe of the one-month window, noting that ASUU Benin Zone, like other zones nationwide, is fully prepared to comply with a National Executive Council (NEC) directive to resume the suspended strike if negotiations fail.
