Ondo medical varsity suspends strike

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, has suspended its indefinite strike and directed lecturers to resume their academic duties with immediate effect.

The decision was reached at a congress meeting of ASUU-UNIMEDO on Wednesday, where members reviewed the Ondo State Government’s compliance with its commitments on the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.

According to a notice jointly signed by the union’s Chairperson, Comrade Abraham Oladebeye, and Secretary, Comrade Adeniran Akinola, the payment of August 2026 salary arrears and September salaries prompted the decision to suspend the industrial action.

The union said the suspension would remain in effect until January 2027, in line with the timeline contained in the state government’s commitment, while appreciating the government and the university management for the payments made.

However, ASUU-UNIMEDO warned that the strike would be reactivated if the government failed to fulfil its outstanding commitments within the agreed timeline.

“Failure to honour the commitment will result in the reactivation of the suspended strike without notice of ultimatum,” the union stated.

Following the suspension, lecturers were directed to resume lectures, examinations, continuous assessments and seminars, as well as departmental, faculty and Senate meetings, students’ research supervision, industrial training and fieldwork.

The development effectively brings the university’s ongoing industrial action to a temporary end, although the union’s warning means that failure by the state government to meet its remaining commitments by January 2027 could lead to another disruption of academic activities.