The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s last-minute appeal to halt its proposed warning strike, describing the intervention as “a little too late.”

ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, stated this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, accusing the government of neglecting the union’s demands until the strike threat became imminent.

“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” Piwuna said.

He recalled that after a previous meeting in Sokoto, the government had requested three weeks to address the union’s grievances but failed to follow up within that period.

“We accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed. Not even a courtesy message to say, ‘We are working on it.’ Nothing, until we threatened action,” he explained.

According to Piwuna, it was only two working days before the planned industrial action that the government reached out to beg ASUU to suspend its decision.

“Yesterday, they appealed to us not to embark on action. Our 2009 agreement, which is still being renegotiated after eight years, remains undone. Two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us? I think the appeal has come a little too late,” he added.

The ASUU President said the union will proceed with its planned two-week warning strike if the government fails to present “something substantial” before the Sunday deadline.

“Their ultimatum expires on Sunday, and after that, there will be a warning strike unless something substantial comes from the government,” Piwuna warned.

ASUU had earlier instructed its branches nationwide to prepare for the two-week warning strike starting October 13, citing government inaction on critical issues including funding, welfare, and the long-delayed 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa said on Wednesday that the government is in the final stages of negotiations with ASUU and other university unions to find a lasting solution to the ongoing crisis in the tertiary education system.