ASUU begins indefinite strike in Nigerian varsity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) branch, has announced the withdrawal of its services following the Ondo State Government’s failure to pay members’ salaries.

In a statement released on Sunday and jointly signed by the branch Chairperson, Boluwaji Oshodi, and Secretary, Olusegun Taiwo, the union said the decision was reached after its Congress held on Thursday, August 21.

According to the union, lecturers at the state-owned institution have endured months of unpaid wages and arrears, making it impossible to continue offering academic services.

“Sir, by this memo, our members have been directed to withdraw their services from all academic activities in the university until all our outstanding salaries and arrears are paid,” the notice stated.

In June, the union, under the Joint Action Committee of Ondo State-owned tertiary Institutions (ODSTI), announced a 14-day warning strike to protest poor funding and unfair living conditions of workers of the institutions.

The warning strike came after it said it made several efforts to call the attention of the state government, especially the Visitor of the institutions, to the plights and poor living conditions of the workers.

JAC had said the poor living conditions of the workers had resulted from several reasons including “poor and inadequate funding of the various institutions; failure to implement the National Minimum Wage, failure to pay accumulated arrears of the previous National Minimum Wages, failure to pay the last tranche of our Wage Award, failure to pay gratuities to our retired members and failure to pay six months outstanding salary arrears to the workers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.”

Although the institutions have suffered low funding over the years, the state government insisted it was doing its best to ensure they have adequate funding.

The state Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, said the issues will be resolved permanently with the increase in subvention to the state-owned universities and other tertiary institutions.

“A committee was set up to resolve the issue. It has met and recommendations have been made.

“For the salaries arrears, the governor has given a directive to the university for the payment of the outstanding salaries.

“I know that within the next few days the issues will be resolved,” he said.

On the increase in the subvention, Mr Ajanaku noted that the recommendations of the committee would be incorporated in the process of budgeting for next year to ensure the tertiary institutions in the state get adequate funding.

Ondo State has three universities.