- The Calabar Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned of a looming strike across several state-owned universities due to the non-implementation of agreements and poor staff welfare.
- The union stated it can no longer guarantee industrial harmony at Abia State University (ABSU), Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), Ebonyi State University (EBSU), and the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS).
- The grievances include the non-payment of earned academic allowances, failure to implement the 25/35% wage award, and the withholding of third-party deductions such as pension contributions and union dues.
The Calabar Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has alerted the public to a potential total, comprehensive, and indefinite industrial action.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in a statement signed by Zonal Coordinator Ikechuku Igwenyi and various branch chairpersons, the union expressed deep frustration over the continued neglect of academic staff across parts of the South-East and South-South.
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According to the union, the affected state universities have failed to implement major components of the 2009 Federal Government agreement.
Beyond the broad agreement, the group highlighted specific financial failures, including the non-implementation of the new minimum wage consequential adjustment and persistent delays in salary payments that have pushed members into “severe financial hardships”.
A particularly sharp point of contention involves the withholding of third-party deductions.
In the case of UNICROSS, the union alleged that 24 months of union dues and National Housing Fund deductions dating back to 2018 have been withheld by the university administration.
The statement noted that skyrocketing inflation has turned university workers into the “working poor,” making basic expenses like rent and hospital bills difficult to manage.
The ASUU leadership maintained that this is not merely a dispute over figures but a “fight for the survival of the university system”.
While calling for immediate intervention from federal and state authorities, the union urged parents, students, and traditional rulers to hold respective state governments responsible should the internal mechanisms finally collapse and lead to a full-scale shutdown.
