AAUA Lecturers Insist on 2025 FG-ASUU Agreement Before Suspending Strike

ASUU at Adekunle Ajasin University says payment of salary arrears alone will not end its strike, insisting Ondo State must implement the 2025 FG-ASUU agreement or face a statewide industrial action.

The union maintained that while efforts to clear unpaid salaries are welcome, the broader welfare issues affecting lecturers remain unresolved. According to ASUU, failure to address the implementation of the nationally negotiated agreement could trigger a fresh strike involving all state-owned universities in Ondo State.

Speaking on the development, the Chairman of the AAUA chapter of ASUU, Dr Boluwaji Oshodi, disclosed that the union had already completed its internal procedures for a new industrial action and is awaiting final approval from the national leadership of the union. He explained that the current dispute extends beyond delayed salaries and includes demands for the implementation of the revised salary structure and other provisions contained in the 2025 agreement.

The AAUA branch has been on an indefinite strike since July 10, following the non-payment of lecturers’ salaries. Although the Ondo State Government has reportedly approved funds to offset the outstanding wages, the union stressed that it would only suspend the ongoing strike after members receive their salary payments.

Dr Oshodi noted that lecturers are currently owed salaries for May, June and July, adding that ASUU would not rely on verbal assurances or government promises. According to him, only the actual payment of the outstanding salaries into members’ accounts would demonstrate the government’s commitment to resolving the immediate crisis.

He further explained that the salary arrears represent only one aspect of the union’s demands. A more fundamental concern, he said, is the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, which introduced a new salary structure and other welfare provisions for academic staff across Nigerian universities.

The union argued that while federal universities and several state-owned institutions have already implemented the agreement and commenced payment of the associated arrears, lecturers in Ondo State institutions have yet to benefit from the revised package. ASUU said this disparity has created growing dissatisfaction among its members, who believe they are being unfairly treated despite performing the same academic responsibilities as their counterparts elsewhere.

According to the union, if the agreement continues to be ignored, the next phase of industrial action will extend beyond Adekunle Ajasin University to include the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) and the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), thereby affecting all three state-owned universities in Ondo State simultaneously.

ASUU also insisted that the implementation of the agreement should take effect retrospectively from January 2026, in line with the understanding reached between the Federal Government and the union. Consequently, the lecturers are demanding not only the adoption of the new salary structure but also the payment of all outstanding arrears accruing from its effective date.

Meanwhile, the management of Adekunle Ajasin University has appealed to students and other stakeholders to remain calm, stating that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has approved a special intervention fund to assist the institution in meeting its financial obligations. The university expressed optimism that the payment process is already underway and urged students to exercise patience while administrative procedures are completed.

The industrial dispute has continued to generate anxiety among students, particularly finalists, many of whom fear that prolonged disruptions could delay examinations, graduation timelines and other academic activities. The university’s Student Union had earlier issued an ultimatum to the management, urging swift resolution of the crisis in the interest of the student community.

The latest development highlights the continuing challenges facing Nigeria’s university system, where disputes over funding, salary implementation and staff welfare remain recurring issues. Education stakeholders have repeatedly stressed that prompt implementation of negotiated agreements and sustained dialogue between governments and university unions are essential to ensuring stability within the nation’s higher education sector.