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•Agitated, union shifts battle to states, presses govs for implementation
The quest for the implementation of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has taken another dimension with the union battling state governments for its implementation in state universities.
In the last one week, the different zones of the union accused state governors of failing to implement the agreement, alleging that their refusal was generating tension in state universities. At an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the unin last month, branch chairmen reported the non-implementation of the agreement by the visitors to their universities.
The zones were directed to sensitise the general public about the abandonment of the FG/ASUU signed agreement by the governors. The zonal coordinators indicted state governments that have not implemented the agreement. The union appealed to governors who are visitors to the universities to do the needful to avert the impending industrial unrest.
Situation reports from the zones
The eight zones of the union recently took the case of the non-implementation of the agreement by state governments to the public and warned of a possible industrial crisis if the affected governors fail to act fast. The zonal coordinators confirmed that lecturers in federal universities are enjoying some aspects of the agreement while their counterparts in states are agitating for the execution of the agreement.
Bauchi Zone fingered the Gombe and Plateau State governments as failing to implement the agreement and threatened to call out its members to down tools if the two governors continue disregard the agreement. The Zonal Coordinator, Dr Timothy-Aku Namo, disclosed that the refusal of the two governors to implement the agreement had worsened the living conditions of lecturers leading to members’ frustration. He labelled the two states as the flashpoints of the implementation crisis.
Zonal Coordinator, Nsukka Zone, Prof. Christian Opata, disclosed that out of eight universities in the zone, the Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) was the only university that has not implemented the agreement and threatened that the union may act if the issue lingers. “After the signing of the agreement, the National Universities Commission (NUC) transmitted the agreement to all state governments. This is apart from our branches handing over the same document to the Vice Chancellors, who also transmitted the same to the state governments”, Prof. Opata said.
Ibadan Zone threatened an indefinite strike if Oyo and Kwara state governments fail to honour the agreement. He added that governments’ failure to honour the agreement persists.
The zone called on Governors Seyi Makinde and Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak to commence the full implementation of the signed agreement from July 2026 at the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education (EAUE), Oyo Town; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, and Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete.
“It is provocative and unjust. Our members in these institutions are being shortchanged by the governors and visitors of Oyo and Kwara states, who have failed to provide the financial backing required to fully implement the signed agreement. However, the role of governing councils of these state universities must be commended for their efforts to address the implementation of the agreement.”
Owerri Zone issued a 14-day ultimatum to two state governors and warned that academic activities in affected state-owned universities may be shut if members’ demands are not met.
The zone said its members would embark on an indefinite strike at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Anambra State and Imo State University, Owerri if the state governors fail to implement the agreement.
Owerri Zonal Coordinator, Dennis Aribodor, explained that the two universities had yet to comply with the agreement, six months after implementation began in other institutions.
Calabar Zone threatened to embark on “total, comprehensive and indefinite” strike across four states over the non-implementation of the agreement.
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Zonal Coordinator, Ikechukwu Igwenyi, accused the governors of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and Cross River of “economic cruelty and strangulation” for failing to pay lecturers what is due.
He noted: “We are being taken for granted. The situation at the state level has degenerated into absolute tyranny against intellectual labour.
“Governors cannot build empires, fund political jamborees and claim a lack of resources when it comes to the legitimate livelihood of lecturers. We are being taken for granted. The situation at the state level has degenerated into absolute tyranny against intellectual labour.”
Kano Zone warned that the delay in implementing the agreement could result in fresh industrial unrest in the affected states. The Coordinator, Abdulkadir Muhammad, criticised some state governors for refusing to implement the salary component of the agreement despite being involved in the renegotiation process.
He warned that failure to faithfully implement the agreement could lead to the disruption of academic activities in the universities.
Lagos Zone made up of seven universities, said members in the three Lagos State-owned institutions, Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) and the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) have not enjoyed the benefits of the agreement six months after it was signed.
Its Coordinator, Prof. Adesola Nassir, said: “We are drawing the attention of the Lagos State Government of the brewing unrest in the three universities. The state government is the one fuelling the unrest.
“The state government should be held responsible for the brewing unrest in LASU, LASUED and LASUSTECH. The national body has thrown its weight behind our members in the three universities for any decisions they take have our backing.”
He advised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu not to allow ASUU to storm Lagos to protest against the non-implementation of the agreement: “We will mobilise our members from the seven branches and the civil society organisations. We don’t want any crisis in the state universities but if the current approach fails, we will resort to another level of agitation.
“We are thereby alerting the Lagos State Government of a brewing unrest in the state. Government, not ASUU, should be held responsible if all universities belonging to Lagos State are thrown into avoidable crises or totally shut down on account of poor response of the government to the concerns of our members.”
Educationists react
Executive Director, Admission Solution Consult, Mr. Bolaji Akeju, wondered why the state governors refused to implement an agreement that their representatives participated in the renegotiation. He was surprised with Lagos, Oyo and Anambra states being among those yet to implement agreement:
“Some of these states have the resources to implement the agreement. The governors are using the money meant to run the states for subtle political campaigns. I don’t understand why Lagos State cannot implement the agreement.”
Chief Executive Officer, Learning Pathway, Lucky Osagie, insisted that the signed agreement is binding on the state governments and they should pay lecturers what their counterpart in federal universities are earning:
“The concerned governors must do the needful. They are stockpiling money for next year’s general elections instead of addressing demands of the lecturers. ASUU said the signed documents were made available to the governors for implementation, it is time they act fast.”
