The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned of an inevitable full-blown strike, except the Federal Government meets its main demand.
It further stated that it is irked by the alleged discouraging manners by which the government has been handling the industrial dispute declared by the Union of Intellectuals.
Coordinator of the Ibadan Zone of the Union, Professor Biodun Olaniran, stated these while addressing the Press at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso
According to him, government functionaries were feeding the public with false news, while frustrating efforts to speedily conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement.
ASUU stated that the real demand “of our Union is the re-negotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement being currently handled by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Committee that will produce a new salary structure to replace the Consolidated University Salary Scale (CONUASS) given the galloping inflation in the country since then.”
ASUU has declared a two-week warning strike on 13 October 2025 which was suspended five days to its expiration, due to perceived genuine interventions from students, their parents, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the media and all other critical stake holders.
The Union then gave a month window, in line with the ultimatum given by the NLC for government, to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement as well as to resolve all the associated issues.
ASUU, Ibadan Zone, comprises of University of Ibadan, Ibadan, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Osun State University, Osogbo, Kwara State University, Malete and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo.
The zone had representatives of the various institutions at the press conference, Adefemi Afolabi (UI); Alex Akanmu (UNILORIN); Ben Olujimi Dada (LAUTECH); Olaosebikan Wende (UNIOSUN); Shehu Abdulganiyu Salau (KWASU); and Michael Bamidele Ojo (EAUED).
According to Professor Olaniran, ASUU “had expected that a government focused on national development, technological innovation and advancement would spare no effort to work within the deadline by giving a marching order to its agents.
“Unfortunately, the Federal Government has been dealing with Union bereft of the seriousness the issues deserve.
“Regrettably, just about eight days to the expiration of the one-month window, nothing significant has been done other than the usual misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda.”
ASUU, while acknowledging “the release of part of the four-year promotion arrears, third-party deductions such as union dues, cooperative and pension deductions being flaunted by government, it however, maintained that these should not be misconstrued by Nigerians as having resolved the demands of ASUU.
The ASUU leader disclosed that “the just-concluded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUU, held at Taraba State University, Jalingo on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th November 2025, clinically X-rayed the state of our engagements with the Federal Government and Visitors to state universities.
“The current state of insecurity and excruciating economic situation in the country and its negative impacts on the welfare of the members of our ASUU calls for great concern by all stakeholders in the educational sector.
“The role being played by government functionaries in the process of renegotiating the Agreement with the Union is negatively worrisome, to say the least.
“Unless the Federal Government holds the bull by the horn, by offering a competitive salary structure within the remaining timeline, our students in the public universities across the nation may have their academic calendars disrupted, once again.
“ASUU, Ibadan Zone, therefore identifies the urgent need to prevail on governments to avert this looming crisis.
“The counter offers made by government through the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Committee have been rejected firmly by our Union because it is inappropriate and unacceptable to make such ridiculous offers to academics who have been taking the same salaries for 16 years.
“This falls below what many West African countries pay their academics, while Nigerian politicians are the highest paid political office holders in Africa, if not globally. What is lacking is the political will and not the resources to fund qualitative education in Nigeria.”
Professor Olaniran stated that the three and half months’ salaries of ASUU members in federal universities, held on account of the Federal Government that provoked the strike of our union in 2022, are still being withheld by government.
“Many state universities are yet to pay the withheld salaries; promotion arrears, and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Osun State University is yet to release the withheld salaries of the members of the Union from 2018 and 2020 and the arrears of the reduced 2015-2019 EAA.
“The story is the same at LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, where EAA and promotion arrears are still outstanding. KWASU has not benefitted from EAA and, like some other state varsities in the country.
“Our Union strongly frowns at this indifferent, anti-progress, anti-labour, and inhumane act.
“We, therefore, demand the unconditional payment of all withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and outstanding EAA to the academic members of staff of universities who are members of ASUU,” Professor Olaniran stated.
