The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked its various branches to conduct a referendum to give backing to the proposed strike.

Daily Sun gathered that the national body of the union also ordered the branches to stage protests starting from inside the institutions carrying placards to the front of their campuses.

A national executive member of the ASUU said the branches were mandated to convene congress where the decision on the industrial action would be decided through voting.

He told Daily Sun that the nationwide congresses would also decide the nature of the strike, indefinite or staggered one.

The national official said the branches were expected to send the outcome of the referendum to their zonal coordinators, who would take it to the NEC meeting.

“From the congress, the branches are expected to start the protest against the Federal Government’s non-implementation of the union’s demands through the university to their main gates.

“The branches have been mandated to carry placards during the protest with different messages about ASUU members’ plights. At their gates, chairmen and other union members are expected to sensitize the general public about their outstanding demands.

“The nationwide protest will be carried out simultaneously in all public universities tomorrow. It is to educate the public about the plights of Nigerian lecturers in public universities. This government is not serious about implementing our numerous demands,” he stated.

Among the demands of the university lecturers are the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government, sacked members in two state universities, non-payment of 25/35 percent salary increment, arrears of promotion and use of IPPIS to pay members salary.

ASUU president, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, said the union had been pushed to the wall after over two years of patience without results.

He rejected the Federal Government’s loan scheme for the university workers and described it as a poisoned chalice.

According to him, the Tinubu-led administration has deliberately employed delay tactics in renegotiating the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, which addressed outstanding salary arrears, and implementing measures to revitalize universities.

He added: “Trust has been destroyed by the government. It is, therefore, up to them to either regain it to avert any strike or allow the strike to go on.” (Daily Sun)