ASUU Threatens Strike Over Salary Agreement at ESUT

ASUU has threatened an indefinite strike at ESUT over unpaid salary agreement
The union wants the Enugu State Government to implement the deal before the end of July
ASUU said continued delays are hurting lecturers’ welfare and the university’s reputation

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nsukka Zone, has warned that lecturers at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) will embark on an indefinite strike if the Enugu State Government fails to implement the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government salary agreement before the end of July.

Eko Hot Blog gathered that the union said the planned industrial action would also demand the payment of outstanding arrears dating back to January 2026.

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Speaking at a press conference in Enugu on Tuesday, the Nsukka Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Christian Opata, said ESUT remained the only institution within the zone that had yet to adopt the remuneration agreement, despite directives issued to state governments.

Addressing journalists under the theme “End the Lamentation in Enugu State University of Science and Technology,” Opata described the welfare of lecturers at the institution as poor, noting that they currently receive the lowest salaries among staff of public universities in Nigeria.

ASUU Threatens Strike Over Salary Agreement at ESUT

He warned that failure to begin implementation of the agreement by the end of July would leave the union with no choice but to shut down academic activities indefinitely.

According to him, the agreement, which took effect in January 2026 after its unveiling on January 14, was communicated to all state governments by the National Universities Commission (NUC), while vice chancellors also forwarded the document to their respective state authorities for implementation.

Opata argued that financial constraints should not be used as an excuse, insisting that Enugu State has sufficient resources to meet the obligations. He cited revenue figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), which he said showed the state received substantial allocations in the first quarter of 2026.

He further noted that states such as Bauchi and Ogun, despite receiving lower allocations, had already begun implementing the agreement, raising questions over Enugu State’s delay.

The ASUU leader also accused the state government of failing to fully implement aspects of the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government agreement, including the payment of Earned Academic Allowance, saying the repeated failure to honour agreements had damaged staff welfare and the university’s reputation.

He maintained that poor remuneration was making it difficult for ESUT to attract and retain experienced academics, adding that the institution’s image had continued to suffer because of inadequate funding and the non implementation of negotiated agreements.

Although the state government recently inaugurated a committee to address the issue, Opata said the union had yet to witness any meaningful progress toward implementing the agreement.

He appealed to Governor Peter Mbah, the university’s Governing Council, traditional rulers, opinion leaders and other stakeholders to intervene and ensure the dispute is resolved before it results in a prolonged disruption of academic activities.

Opata stressed that the union was not eager to embark on strike but insisted that members would be left with no alternative if the government failed to act.

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