BREAKING: ASUU begins indefinite strike at Ondo varsity over unpaid salaries

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) branch, has commenced an indefinite strike over the non-payment of lecturers’ salaries, bringing academic activities at the institution to a halt.

The Chairman of ASUU-AAUA, Prof. Boluwaji Oshodi, confirmed the development in an exclusive interview with Western Post on Friday. He said the industrial action became inevitable following the failure of the authorities to pay members’ salaries for May and June.

Oshodi explained that the action was in line with a resolution of ASUU’s National Delegates Conference, which directs branches to embark on strike whenever the previous month’s salary remains unpaid by the third day of the succeeding month.

According to him, the union had initially exercised patience when the May salary was delayed, hoping the outstanding payments would be cleared. However, he said members were left with no option but to down tools as both May and June salaries remained unpaid.

Describing the situation as “outrageous and demeaning,” Oshodi said the prolonged salary delays had subjected lecturers to severe hardship amid the country’s economic challenges. He lamented that many academic staff could no longer afford basic transportation to work.

“We have not received our May and June salaries. We exercised patience after the May salary was delayed, but as of today, the June salary is still unpaid. Things are becoming unbearable for our members, and we are frustrated,” he said, adding that some professors now rely on motorcycles to commute because they can no longer afford regular transportation.

The ASUU chairman appealed to the university management and relevant authorities to urgently pay the outstanding salaries, stressing that the union’s only demand was the immediate settlement of members’ entitlements. He maintained that the indefinite strike would remain in force until the salaries were paid.

Meanwhile, the Adekunle Ajasin University Students’ Union Government, in a notice issued on Friday, confirmed that the industrial action took effect at 11:59 p.m. The union advised students to remain calm and rely on official updates from the university management, ASUU and the Students’ Union while awaiting further developments.