ASUU tackles Soludo , Uzodinma over non implementation of FG agreement in their universities

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By Madu Obi

The Owerri Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU Owerri Zone, has tackled Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodinma, for allegedly refusing to implement the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement aimed at improving the welfare of their members and quality of education in their universities.

At a press conference at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, the Coordinator of ASUU Owerri Zone, Professor Dennis Aribodor, lamented that more than five months after the commencement of implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement, state-owned universities under ASUU Owerri Zone are yet to commence the implementation.

The two state universities in ASUU Owerri Zone are Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), owned by the Anambra State Government, and Imo State University (IMSU) owned by the Imo State Government.

Aribodor said: "Our branches in both COOU and IMSU, in obedience to the directive of the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU, have submitted the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement to their respective University administrations since February 2026.

"This was done notwithstanding that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had earlier communicated the agreement to the governors of the two states, who are the Visitors of the two state universities, as well as their Vice Chancellors.

"Despite demonstrations of good faith and engagement of university authorities, including the Governing Councils and university administrations by our union in COOU and IMSU, the implementation of the agreement has not commenced in both universities. This is both bad and sad for the university system.

"While implementation has commenced in many state-owned universities including those owned by Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun and Sokoto states, it is saddening that such has not happened in Anambra and Imo states.

"ASUU Owerri Zone, therefore, calls on well- meaning citizens of Nigeria, especially the traditional and religious institutions, civil society organizations, parents, student groups, as well as critical stakeholders in the university education system, to prevail on the Visitor to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (the Anambra State Governor) and the Visitor to Imo State University (the Imo State Governor), to commence the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement in order to uphold industrial harmony.

"Continued delay of the implementation serves no useful purpose and only aggravates industrial tension within the affected universities."

According to him, ASUU Owerri Zone cannot continue to watch while its members in state universities are subjected to poor welfare conditions, noting that injury to one is injury to all.

Aribodor also lamented a situation where, he added, Anambra State -owned University receives about N180 million monthly, when some states provide as much as N600 million for salaries alone in their universities.

"I don't know why Anambra and Imo states should wait for unrest to take place in their universities before taking action", he said , recalling that it took a strike to get governors of the two states to implement the ASUU government agreement of 2009.

He attributed what he called the 'brain drain' of academic staff from the South East universities to other parts of the country, to lack of proper funding by their Visitors.

While the ASUU chairman of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Comrade Ibekilo Bruno said his institution requires about N300 million monthly to pay academic staff salaries, his Imo State University counterpart, Stephen Oguji said his university requires about N1 billion to solve the welfare problem of both the academic and non academic staff of IMSU.

Oguji described the situation in IMSU as pitiable because every expenditure is made by the state government through a single account, adding that members of the university management are mere figureheads.