The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Owerri Zone, has threatened to resume its suspended strike from November 21, 2025, over the Federal Government’s failure to meet its long-term demands.

The Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Owerri Zone, Prof. Dennis Aribodor, stated this during a press briefing held at the ASUU Secretariat in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, on Thursday.

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

During the press conference, Aribodor, flanked by other members of the union, said members have no other alternative than to embark on the indefinite strike from November 21 if the Federal Government fails to utilise the eight days in between to negotiate with the union.

He said the press conference became necessary to alert every critical stakeholder in the Nigerian university system, and indeed, the general public, that time is running out to prevent a full-blown industrial action in public universities.

According to him, lecturers have been on the same salary for 16 years, and it is a dangerous trend for the Federal Government to be comfortable with lecturers being on the same salary for 16 years, with all the devaluations and inflation.

He said, “Please recall that ASUU, out of respect for students and their parents, the media, Nigeria Labour Congress and other well-meaning Nigerians, reviewed the then two-week warning strike, declared on October 13, 2025, and resolved to suspend the strike action on October 22, 2025, five days before the expiration of the two weeks.

“The union gave a month’s window to the government to resolve all issues. Eight days to the end of this one-month window period, where are we?

“ASUU Owerri Zone, regrettably, has observed with consternation, the government’s continuous failure to prioritise education as it perceives education as a commercial good that must be self-sustaining instead of a social good that can guarantee peace, progress and national development.

“The Zone further reviewed the progress made in the renegotiation process since the suspension of the warning strike over two weeks ago and rejected the proposed salary increment, which we consider an insult to Nigerian university academic staff.

“The proposal is not capable of bringing out the best among university lecturers and cannot reverse the perennial brain drain syndrome, which has devastated our universities for decades. The salary and conditions of service components of the renegotiation process remain a sore point that needs a radical approach to stem the tide in the system.

“To us in ASUU Owerri Zone, government functionaries are undermining the negotiation process by the subtle misrepresentation of offers and implementation of agreements just to score cheap political points.

“The part payment of promotion arrears dating as far back as 2017, the release of third-party deductions, which are part of members’ salaries for years, are mere confidence measures, and must not be construed as the substantial issues of the negotiation process.

“The government’s objective must not be to win the narrative but to solve the real problems. That’s the way forward. Government is hereby advised to utilise the remaining days to the expiration of the one-month window given to achieve a holistic resolution of the issues, particularly to uplift the take-home pay of academics in Nigeria.”

The union members insisted that, contrary to the claim of paucity of funds and economic downturn, evidence showed that there has been a quantum leap in the revenue profile of both the Federal and state governments.

They said in 2022, according to data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, the states received a total of N3.92 trillion, while the figure for 2024 was N5.81 trillion.

According to them, it is the political will or lack of it, and not economic factors, that have been undermining the resolution of this renegotiation process, as the revenue profile above clearly supports this claim.

“This is an increase of over 62 per cent. Similarly, the Federal Government received N3.42 trillion in 2022 and N4.65 trillion in 2024, representing an increase of over 70 per cent.

“It is the political will or lack of it, and not economic factors, that has been undermining the resolution of this renegotiation process, as the revenue profile above clearly supports this claim. The Nigerian Government should not be comfortable with lecturers being on the same salary for 16 years, with all the devaluations and inflation.

“ASUU Owerri Zone is therefore calling on all stakeholders, including traditional rulers, religious leaders, students, the NLC, media and the civil society to urge the government to do the right things and give lecturers a living wage within the remaining days of the one-month window period.

“ASUU Owerri Zone also expects 100 per cent payment of all outstanding arrears, including 25-35 per cent wage award, three and a half months withheld salaries, promotion arrears and third party deductions.

“These are our minimum demands to avoid the resumption of the suspended strike to ensure industrial harmony in our universities,” the union members added.