Salary payment won’t avert fresh strike, ASUU tells Aiyedatiwa

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko chapter, has said paying the outstanding salaries owed its members will not avert another industrial action unless the Ondo State Government implements the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement.

The union said it had already concluded internal processes for a fresh strike over the agreement and was only awaiting approval from its national leadership, warning that the planned action would involve all three Ondo State-owned universities.

The AAUA branch of ASUU has been on an indefinite strike since July 10 over the non-payment of lecturers’ salaries for May and June.

Speaking with The PidomNigeria on Monday, the AAUA ASUU Chairman, Dr Boluwaji Oshodi, said although the union had received information that the Ondo Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, had released funds to the university, it would only suspend the strike after members received salary alerts.

He added that the lecturers were now being owed salaries for May, June and July.

He said, “Government has not spoken to us directly, but it has discussed with the university management. The information reaching us is that the governor has released some money to the university management to offset the salaries.

“But as of today, July 27, lecturers are already being owed three months’ salaries – May, June and July.”

The varsity had, in a statement on Monday by the Deputy Registrar, Information, Protocol and Public Relations, Sola Imoru, said Governor Aiyedatiwa had approved a special intervention fund to enable the university to meet its financial obligations.

The union leader said ASUU would not rely on assurances from the government until the outstanding salaries were paid.

“We have heard that the governor has signed the warrant and that the money will be available anytime from now, but as a union, we don’t work with promises. We work with action. Until we receive the salary alerts, we will not believe the money has been released,” he said.

Oshodi added that while the union’s immediate concern remained the payment of the outstanding salaries, a more fundamental dispute over the implementation of the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement was imminent.

Oshodi said, “Beyond that, there is another pending issue, which has to do with the implementation of the 2025 ASUU/FGN agreement. We have informed the management that if this agreement is not implemented in our university, then we are set for another round of strike.”

According to him, the branch had completed all procedures required to embark on another industrial action.

“We have concluded the process because the zone and national ASUU delegation have visited our branch, and we are waiting for their approval. That approval can come at any time.

“Even if this particular strike is suspended, there is a pending strike that can commence at any time if the 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement is not implemented in our university,” he added.

The ASUU chairman warned that the next phase of the dispute would extend beyond AAUA to other state-owned universities in Ondo.

“If the government clears the May and June salaries, the battle has just begun. This one will be brutal because it will involve all three Ondo State-owned universities – AAUA, OAUSTECH and UNIMED. All these three universities will embark on this strike at the same time,” Oshodi said.

He said the agitation was because it was aware that the salary structure agreed under the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement had already been implemented in federal universities and many state-owned institutions, leaving lecturers in Ondo feeling shortchanged.

“The agreement came into effect from January 2026. Federal universities have implemented it and paid the arrears. A large number of state universities have also implemented it.

“As we speak, we do not have any assurance that the agreement is going to be implemented in our university, and that is a big issue. Universities like FUTA, EKSU and BOUESTI have implemented this agreement, so our members feel cheated,” he said.

Oshodi added that the union’s agitation had three phases, with the current salary dispute representing only the first.

“The issue of May, June and July salaries is just a phase. The moment these salaries are paid without the new salary structure, another round of agitation will start.

“We are also demanding the payment of arrears because the agreement took effect from January 2026. So, our agitation is in three phases; we are just on the first phase.”

Some final year students who spoke with The PidomNigeria on Monday lamented that the strike began just about two years before commencement of their final year exams.

They lamented that the strike had stalled their graduation from the university.

Earlier on Monday, the university management appealed to students and other stakeholders to remain calm, saying the Ondo State Government was already addressing the issues that led to the strike.

The institution’s Student Union had earlier issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the management to resolve the industrial dispute.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Registrar, Information, Protocol and Public Relations, Mr Sola Imoru, the management said Governor Aiyedatiwa’s intervention was already being processed and urged students to exercise patience while payment procedures were being concluded.

It read, “Management considers the ultimatum unnecessary as the Governor of Ondo State and Visitor to the university, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has already approved a special intervention fund to enable the university to meet its financial obligations.

“This development was duly discussed with the leadership of the students’ union. Management, therefore, appeals to all students to remain calm and exercise patience while the payment processes initiated by the Visitor to the university are being concluded.”