The union said it would not succumb to the government’s alleged attempt to divide the academic community.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ directive, insisting that the union will not be intimidated by threats.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, stated this on Monday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He said the union remained united and would not succumb to what he described as the government’s attempt to divide the academic community.
“We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten us,” Piwuna said.
Piwuna maintained that all academic bodies, such as the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), were standing together in support of the strike action.
“He is threatening us, writing to NAMDA and CONUA, telling them they can get their salaries. He wants to divide us, but we are united in this matter.
“CONUA is with us, NAMDA is with us, SSANU is with us, NASU is with us. The polytechnics and colleges of education are also with us,” he said.
The ASUU President advised the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to focus on resolving the ongoing dispute instead of issuing threats.
“He has got something coming. He had better sit down and solve this problem or he will fail in trying to divide us,” Piwuna added.
Piwuna also hinted that the union remained open to dialogue and was ready to engage with the Federal Government.
“Today, I received a call from the Minister of State for Labour. She said she has been directed to intervene and get this matter resolved. ASUU is willing. We are ready and available to discuss this matter once and for all,” Piwuna stated.
‘No Work, No Pay’
Earlier on Monday, the Federal Government directed universities to implement the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against lecturers participating in the ongoing two-week warning strike.
The directive was contained in a circular dated October 13, signed by the Education Minister
The Minister expressed the government’s displeasure over ASUU’s decision to embark on a nationwide strike despite ongoing negotiations and appeals for dialogue.
“In line with extant provisions of labour laws, the Federal Government reiterates its position on the enforcement of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy in respect of any employee who fails to discharge his or her official duties during the period of strike action,” the letter partly read.
Alausa also ordered vice-chancellors to conduct roll-calls and physical headcounts of academic staff in their institutions and submit reports showing those on duty.
He said academic workers under the CONUA and NAMDA, who are not part of the strike, are exempted from the directive.
The Minister added that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had been instructed to monitor compliance and submit a consolidated report within seven days.
The Federal Government insisted that all pending demands by ASUU had been addressed and that the strike was unnecessary.
ASUU, however, disagreed, saying there had been no meaningful progress to address its long-standing demands.
Warning Strike
On Sunday, ASUU announced a total and comprehensive two-week warning strike affecting all public universities across Nigeria.
National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, said the decision followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28, 2025.
“There has been no substantial response from the relevant authorities, so all ASUU branches have been directed to commence a full withdrawal of services,” he said at a press conference at the University of Abuja.
He explained that the strike was in line with the resolution reached at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
Piwuna said the strike became inevitable due to the government’s slow response to ASUU’s repeated appeals and the neglect of agreements signed since 2009.
“Our 2009 agreement, still under renegotiation after eight years, remains inconclusive. The appeal to shelve the strike came too late,” he stated earlier on The Morning Brief.
