The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Saturday warned the Federal Government to act immediately to prevent a looming strike across government-owned universities.

ASUU said the government had pushed it to the wall in a statement signed by its National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna.

In the statement, ASUU noted that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently declared that “not again ever in this country will ASUU or tertiary institutions, trade unions, teachers, lecturers go on strike.”

According to the union, Alausa predicated his declaration on the government’s strategy of “dialogue, maintaining a good relationship with union heads (leaders), and meeting the demands of the unions.”

While ASUU said it shared the minister’s optimism about dialogue and maintaining relationships, the union, however, said the government needed to go beyond words and act on outstanding issues.

“Feelers across campuses indicate that lecturers in Nigerian public universities are, to put it mildly, not happy. They teach students on empty stomachs.

“They conduct research in libraries and laboratories bereft of essential electronic and physical journals, books, chemicals, and reagents.

“They engage with communities and agencies in rickety cars while encumbered by utility bills, children’s fees, house rents, family upkeep, and a legion of other unmet responsibilities.

“Yet, elite Nigerians are quick to blame the universities for ‘producing unemployable graduates’ and failure to initiate innovative research for addressing the country’s problems.

“Our members feel forgotten, shamed, and demoralised by past and present governments,” it said.