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Fact-check: No, ASUU Has Not Yet Suspended Strike

Claim

A Twitter user with the name Saleh Shehu ASHAKA (@Ashakasaleh), who is also a journalist with Voice of America has tweeted that the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has suspended the strike on Saturday, November 21.

The tweet generated over 2,000 reactions in less than two hours, with over 1,500 likes, 384 retweets, and 220 retweets.

Verdict: A verification has revealed that the claim is false. While the Federal Government has agreed to meet some of the demands by ASUU, the union is yet to suspend the strike.

Full Text

A Twitter user with the name Saleh Shehu Ashaka (@Ashakasaleh) tweeted that ASUU has suspended its strike.


“ASUU Strike has Been SUSPENDED!!.”, Ashaka tweeted.

The tweet has generated more than 2,000 reactions in less than two hours due to the perceived credibility of its author.

Ashaka has been a journalist and a reporter of Voice of America in Nigeria. He has over 40,000 followers on Twitter.

Verification:

On Friday, the Federal Government agreed to offer N65 billion to the Nigerian universities and promised to address some of the lecturer’s demands.

According to the Premium Times, “the government also agreed to pay the lecturers their outstanding salaries using an older payment platform, GIFMIS, different from the controversial IPPIS.” 

The Minister of Labour, Mr. Chris Ngige, said “we have touched most areas of differences and ASUU has said they were going to go back to their members and their various organs and refer back to the government. When they revert to us, we can then fix a date for the opening of the universities.”

The National President of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said: “ASUU will take the new offer to its members.”

“We will give the government our response by next week Friday after discussing with our members,” he said.

As of Saturday, no evidence that ASUU has held a meeting with its members or made any statement about the ongoing strike. 

None of the news platforms reported that ASUU has suspended the industrial action as of Saturday, November 21, and the journalist failed to provide any supporting information when contacted. 

ASUU Strike 

ASUU has embarked on an indefinite strike on March 23 to demand the revitalisation allowance, Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, visitation panels, among others.

The union has also proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for the controversial IPPIS.

A new union that’s against the ASUU, Congress of University Academics (CONUA), emerged and was supported by the federal government.

On November 19, Mr. Chris Ngige, tasked the new rival union to submit its report to the government in less than four months for full registration. 

Experts think the new movement by the federal government may not bring a lasting solution to the strikes even if suspended.


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Aliyu Dahiru

Aliyu is an Assistant Editor at HumAngle and Head of the Radicalism and Extremism Desk. He has years of experience researching misinformation and influence operations. He is passionate about analysing jihadism in Africa and has published several articles on the topic. His work has been featured in various local and international publications.

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