By Mahdi Waziri Isa
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) staged a mass protest, Tuesday, in the Samaru Main Campus of the University to demand full implementation of the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement renegotiation report.
The protest, which took off from the union’s Secretariat immediately after a stakeholders’ meeting, went round the university, passing through the university’s Main Gate, and ultimately ended at the university’s Senate building.
The protesters held placards containing messages like “ASUU Says Stop Playing with Our Lecturers,” “ASUU Demands Revitalized Universities and Respect to Lecturers,” “ASUU Says Respect Collective Bargaining, Honour The Agreement Now,” “Education is the Backbone of Civilization, FGN Must Listen to ASUU,” “ASUU Rejects Empty Promises”, “ASUU Says Save Education, Save Nigeria”, and “ASUU Demands Pay Our Withheld Salaries, Pay Our Arrears.”
Addressing journalists, the ABU ASUU Chairman, Comrade (Professor) Muhammad Haruna Jibrin said the protest was to call on the federal government to sign and implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, which was renegotiated by the Yayale Ahmad-led renegotiation committee and the report of which was submitted to the federal government in February 2025, but was abandoned by the government.
“It is really disheartening that the government has not reacted to a fundamental issue such as this. The government is just diverting from the main issue and saying that it will give out loans to ASUU and other tertiary institution unions, which ASUU outrightly rejected as a union.
“Although we allowed our members to go and access the loans as individuals if they so wish since they are government employees, but as a union, we rejected it in principle and we also rejected the idea of serving as guarantors for our members. I don’t think the government needs any guarantee or any introduction letter from any third party to grant its employees a loan,” Comrade Jibrin said.
Comrade Jibrin further highlighted the government’s misplaced priority in dealing with the union, stating: “And don’t forget, they’re owing us three and a half months’ salary, and a barrage of promotion arrears dating back to 2012 to 2016 in this university. And instead of addressing these problems, you’re giving us a loan. Why don’t you use some of the loan funds to address our grievances? It’s a contradiction!”
When asked if there is a possibility for an industrial action, he said, “We normally start with protest, and it all depends on the government’s response to our demands. If they respond responsibly, possible industrial action can be averted. But if the government didn’t give a positive response, the union has no other option but to meet and take a decisive action on the matter.”
He rebuked the government’s plan to increase the salaries of political office holders, describing it as “something unfortunate!”