The AAUA ASUU strike has entered an indefinite phase after the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko branch, declared a total strike over the 2025 agreement with the Federal Government.
The branch Chairman, Prof. Boluwaji Oshodi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Akure, Ondo State. The fresh action comes barely a week after the union suspended its earlier strike over unpaid salary backlogs. The union called off that action after the government paid the outstanding salaries.
Oshodi said the union had given the Ondo State Government enough time to address its concerns. He said members had sent several letters and requested meetings over the implementation of the agreement. However, he said the government failed to take concrete steps on the matter. As a result, the union decided to begin another strike.
Why AAUA ASUU declared the strike
According to Oshodi, lecturers would not return to the classrooms based on promises or commitments from the government. He said members now want concrete action on the 2025 agreement and the payment of salary arrears from January.
“The union has just declared an indefinite, total, and comprehensive strike over the non-implementation of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)/ASUU 2025 agreement.
“The resolution is that if that agreement is not implemented here, and the arrears from January are not paid, we are not going to resume.
“We are not ready to listen to anything like commitment again. What we want now is action,” he said.
Oshodi also criticised the state government’s reluctance to implement the agreement. He noted that several other state governments had already started implementing the package. The ASUU chairman questioned why Ondo State should take a different position. He also pointed to the state’s status as an oil-producing state.
“Why will our own be different in Ondo State, an oil-producing state?” he queried.
Union demands implementation
Oshodi said the union remained open to discussions with the state government despite the strike. However, he maintained that dialogue alone would not lead to the resumption of work. According to him, the government must begin implementing the agreement and pay the outstanding salary arrears. He said those steps must come before lecturers return to the classrooms.
“The union is always open, but the truth of the matter is that the implementation must commence, and the arrears from January to date must be paid,” he emphasised.
The strike could now disrupt academic activities at Adekunle Ajasin University. The union has insisted that members will remain away from the classrooms until the government takes action. The development comes amid similar concerns from university lecturers in other parts of the country. Several ASUU branches have raised issues over salaries, welfare and the implementation of agreements with government authorities.
What the 2025 agreement contains
NAN reports that the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement includes an upgraded salary structure for academic staff. It also provides for a 40 per cent review and payment of accumulated salary arrears. However, the AAUA branch says the government has not implemented the agreement at the institution. The union also says salary arrears from January remain unpaid.
The branch has therefore maintained that lecturers will not resume until the government begins implementation. It also wants the outstanding arrears paid in full. The latest action comes only days after the union suspended its previous strike. Members had returned to work after the government paid the salary backlogs. However, the dispute over the 2025 agreement has now triggered another indefinite strike. The union says further assurances will not be enough to end the action.
Similar ASUU strike in Imo
The AAUA strike also comes a day after the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Imo State University, Owerri branch, declared an indefinite strike. The Imo branch accused the state government and university management of failing to implement an agreement on staff welfare. It also cited concerns over the conditions of service for academic staff.
The latest actions have again drawn attention to the implementation of agreements between ASUU and government authorities. They also highlight continuing concerns over lecturers’ welfare across some Nigerian universities. At AAUA, however, the union has made its position clear. Members want concrete action on the 2025 agreement and payment of the arrears before they return to work.
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