ASUU FUPRE Joins Nationwide Protest, Demands Implementation Of Renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement

By Daniel Dafe

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), on Tuesday took to the streets, protesting in line with a directive by the National Executive Council (NEC).

Protesters who went around the institution’s campus marched, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with various inscriptions such as ‘FG: Sign & Implement renegotiated agreement by Yayale Committee! Lecturers Deserve Better Welfare! ASUU Demands implementation,’ “ASUU FUPRE protests FG delay! Sign and Implement Now! Lecturers are NOT SLAVES #JUSTICE4ASUU,’ ‘University Lecturers are not SLAVES; we are Educators and Parents. Better Welfare Needed! #FGImplementASUUDeal,’ “ASUU FUPRE calls FG to act: Sign & Implement: Demand better Welfare not Loans! #ASUUwantsAction,” “United Demand: FG sign & Implement. Lecturers are Professionals, not Slaves. Parents to students. Better welfare! #UnitryForASUU.

The Chairman, Comrade Wilfred C. Okologume, in his address to members appreciated everyone for turning up for the protest.

He hinted that one of the reasons for the protest to include the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement which was yet to be implemented, just as he urged the federal government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement by the Yayale Ahmed-led committee.

Okologume also admonished that the federal government should recognize that lecturers deserve much better remuneration and not loans, while calling on the federal government to pay lecturers the withheld three and half months’ salary arrears.

The chairman also urged the federal government to stop the proliferation of universities while highlighting the fact that TETFUND which is supposed to be an interventionist agency has in recent times, been made to carry the entire burden of infrastructural development in Nigerian Tertiary institutions.

The branch Chairman, who led the protesters to the VC, Professor Ezekiel O. Agbalagba, in his address, expressed gratitude to him for his show of solidarity and support to the union.

The Vice Chancellor in his response appreciated the leadership and members of the Union. He also went ahead to remind members that by virtue of his position as IPC, he automatically is part of the Union, but that by reason of his position as VC, he has to be on the other side of the divide.

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He then assured the protesters that the government is aware of the protest and that the government is already acting.

According to him, they were notified that by on Wednesday, 27th August, 2025, the sum of Ten Billion Naira NEEDS Assessment will be released.

He also assured members that the three and a half months withheld salary is currently being addressed and in no time, the money will be released.