The ongoing ASUU strike has begun to take a toll on academic activities across universities, with institutions such as the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) reportedly forced to disrupt or cancel scheduled examinations.

ASUU members were seen on Monday causing chaos at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), as they stormed various examination halls and forced students to stop their examinations.

The national body of the union had earlier announced the commencement of a two-week warning strike to protest the Nigerian government’s alleged failure to honour previous funding agreements, earned allowances, and the implementation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

Chris Piwuna, ASUU national president, on Sunday, October 12, directed union members to embark on a 14-day strike nationwide from Monday, October 13.

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Students who were in the middle of their semester examinations were left stranded and confused as lecturers abruptly stopped the process and walked out of the venues.

Amaka Nwachukwu, a 200-level student, told BusinessDay that their lecturers drove them out of the examination and asked them to go home.

“We’re asked to go home until after two weeks, the lecturers told us that our exams are no longer being held until after the warning strike.

“ASUU members on campus insist we won’t continue with the exams while the union is on strike,” she said.

According to a report from Benin, ASUU leadership comprehensively implemented the directive, sending messages to department heads and invigilators to vacate exam halls.

Some non-academic staff were also seen collaborating with the lecturers in the disruption, as a sign of solidarity, as they joined in locking some faculty and halting academic activities.

Meanwhile, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the management cancelled the ongoing examination as a result of the lecturers’ impasse with the federal government.

Ifeanyi Abada, an ASUU chieftain, told BusinessDay that the university has suspended its ongoing examination as a result of the union’s strike.

In the face of the stale agreement between ASUU and the federal government, President Bola Tinubu’s administration had threatened to invoke the “no work, no pay” policy against the lecturers’ union should they proceed with the strike.

Tunji Alausa, and Suwaiba Ahmed, the minister of education and the minister of state for education, respectively, in a joint statement issued on Sunday, October 12, accused ASUU of abandoning dialogue despite what they described as the government’s “sincere and consistent efforts” to address the lecturers’ demands.

“The federal government of Nigeria has called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reconsider its decision to embark on an industrial strike, emphasizing that constructive dialogue remains the most effective and sustainable path toward resolving all outstanding issues in the tertiary education sector,” the statement read. (BusinessDay)