ASUU Owerri Zone Warns of November 21 Strike Action

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Owerri Zone, has warned that it will restart its halted strike beginning Novembe...

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Owerri Zone, has warned that it will restart its halted strike beginning November 21, 2025, due to the Federal Government's inability to address its ongoing requests.

The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Owerri Zone, Prof. Dennis Aribodor, made this statement at a press conference organized at the ASUU headquarters in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, on Thursday.

The ASUU Owerri Zone includes Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State University, Owerri, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

At the press conference, Aribodor, accompanied by other union members, stated that the workers have no choice but to start an indefinite strike on November 21 if the Federal Government does not use the eight-day period to engage in talks with the union.

He mentioned that the press conference was essential to inform all key stakeholders within the Nigerian university system, as well as the broader public, that there is limited time left to avoid a widespread strike in public universities.

He stated that professors have maintained the same salary for 16 years, and it is a concerning pattern for the Federal Government to accept that lecturers have not seen any salary increases over this period, considering the ongoing currency devaluation and rising inflation.

He stated, "Please remember that ASUU, in consideration for students and their parents, the media, Nigeria Labour Congress, and other sincere Nigerians, revised the initial two-week strike notice, which was announced on October 13, 2025, and decided to halt the strike action on October 22, 2025, five days prior to the end of the two-week period."

The union provided the government with a one-month period to address all concerns. Eight days into this one-month timeframe, where do we stand?

ASUU Owerri Zone, unfortunately, has noted with concern the government's ongoing failure to place education at the forefront, viewing it as a commercial product that needs to be self-reliant rather than a public benefit that can foster peace, advancement, and national growth.

The Zone re-examined the advancements achieved in the renegotiation process since the suspension of the warning strike more than two weeks ago and dismissed the suggested salary increase, which we view as an affront to Nigerian university academic personnel.

The suggestion is unable to bring out the best in university professors and fails to reverse the long-standing issue of brain drain, which has severely affected our universities over many years. The aspects related to salaries and working conditions during the renegotiation process continue to be a major problem that requires a thorough solution to halt the ongoing decline.

To us in the ASUU Owerri Zone, government officials are sabotaging the negotiation process through subtle misrepresentation of proposals and the execution of agreements solely to gain cheap political advantages.

The partial payment of outstanding promotional compensation dating back to 2017, along with the release of third-party deductions that have been part of members' salaries for years, are only gestures of confidence and should not be seen as significant matters in the negotiation process.

The government's goal should not focus on winning the story but on addressing actual challenges. This is the right path. The government is urged to make use of the remaining days before the one-month period ends to achieve a comprehensive solution to the issues, especially to increase the net income of academics in Nigeria.

Union members argued that, despite assertions of limited funding and an economic slump, data indicated a significant increase in the income levels of both the federal and state governments.

In 2022, as per information from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, the states were allocated a total of N3.92 trillion, compared to N5.81 trillion in 2024.

They argue that it is the presence or absence of political will, rather than economic factors, that has been hindering the resolution of this renegotiation process, as the revenue data above clearly confirms this assertion.

This marks a rise of more than 62 percent. Likewise, the Federal Government collected N3.42 trillion in 2022 and N4.65 trillion in 2024, indicating an increase of over 70 percent.

It is the presence or absence of political will, rather than economic factors, that has been hindering the resolution of this renegotiation process, as the revenue data above clearly demonstrates. The Nigerian Government should not be at ease with lecturers receiving the same salary for 16 years, considering the ongoing devaluations and inflation.

ASUU Owerri Zone is therefore appealing to all relevant parties, including customary leaders, religious figures, students, the NLC, media, and civil society organizations, to encourage the government to take appropriate actions and provide academic staff with a livable salary within the remaining days of the one-month period.

ASUU Owerri Zone also anticipates full payment of all outstanding debts, including a 25-35 per cent salary increase, three and a half months of withheld wages, promotion backlogs, and third-party deductions.

"These are our essential requirements to prevent the restart of the halted strike and maintain workplace stability within our universities," the union members stated.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).