The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of His branch, has disputed the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Maruf Alausa’s claim of releasing N50 billion as part of the university revitalisation fund, accusing him of making “misleading statements” about the federal government’s compliance with agreements with university workers
In a statement signed by the branch chairperson, Prof. Jurbe Joseph Molwus, ASUU recalled that on October 22, 2025, it had issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet outstanding demands or face a total strike.
The union warned that industrial action may resume if the issues remain unresolved within the next two weeks.
According to ASUU, “not much progress has been recorded” since the ultimatum, as university staff are yet to receive withheld salaries, wage award arrears, promotion arrears, and other entitlements.
“As we prepare for our National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for November 8-9, we expect that outstanding entitlements, including the 3.5 months of withheld salaries, 25-35 per cent wage award arrears, promotion arrears, and unpaid salaries of some members, would have been settled by now. But all we get are press releases from the Honourable Minister of Education. What we need are credit alerts, not misleading statements,” the statement read.
Responding to the minister’s claim that ₦2.3 billion had been disbursed to clear salary and promotion arrears across federal universities, ASUU described the figure as “false and embarrassing,” saying it could barely cover the needs of three universities.
“The Minister’s claim of clearing the backlog exists only in his imagination. ₦2.3 billion is grossly inadequate and almost insulting. The Minister must state clearly what fraction of the outstanding entitlements this money is meant to cover and for whom,” the union said.
ASUU also criticised Dr. Alausa for issuing “inconsistent and contradictory statements” on the union’s demands, urging him to engage sincerely with stakeholders rather than offering “empty rhetoric.”
“It is high time the Honourable Minister of Education realised that only genuine engagement beyond words can settle ASUU’s demands. Palliatives do not cure diseases; perhaps he should learn from his counterpart in the Ministry of Health,” the union added.
The union questioned the effectiveness of the Minister of State for Education, noting that as someone from the university system, she should have demonstrated better understanding and commitment to resolving the issues.
ASUU called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to show genuine commitment to ending the prolonged crisis in tertiary education by appointing a more competent minister who understands the challenges of higher education.
“If President Tinubu truly desires to make history by ending the long-standing dispute with university unions, he needs to appoint someone who understands the issues bedevilling higher education,” ASUU said.
The union urged students, parents, and the public to pressure the government to act swiftly, warning that the four-week ultimatum expires on November 21, 2025.
“The strike was only suspended as a mark of respect and goodwill in collective bargaining. We expect the government to reciprocate by addressing our demands satisfactorily without further delay,” Prof. Molwus stated.
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